


Master Manipulator

by kickers17



Series: ATE [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Asexual Character, Assassins & Hitmen, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Brothers, Everyone Is Gay, Family Feels, Gay Sex, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Happy Ending, Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, Killing, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Possessive Behavior, Protective Older Brothers, Slash, amazing grandfather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickers17/pseuds/kickers17
Summary: Eirwen Aldrich didn't intend to be obsessed over innocent Detective Lucas Halls when he was interrogated over that girl he just murdered. He made a mistake calling in a favour from his eldest brother who thinks the family should kill Lucas before it gets complicated.  Eirwen's youngest brother should not have jumped from the fourth floor when he caught them about to have sex. His grandfather should not accept in-laws easily. And Lucas should stop pretending to be a good guy. And a secret admirer staging serial killings to declare his interest in the background, does not help things at all.Parallel to Against the Elements, but can be read first.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: ATE [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019004
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Hetero? Or Not interested?

**Author's Note:**

> A warning: This story is dark in a sense that it involves killing without remorse, non descriptive children serial killings, mentions of child abuse (like in 3 sentences), how people dealing with death everyday escape by looking at the brightside. A character using sex to shut up his partner. If it offends you please, don't read it. But if you're okay with all that, please continue on.

A nail broke off as she desperately tried to pry my hands off her throat. Fortunately, I was with thick gloves, making DNA a non existent problem once they find her body. I was careful to not put much pressure on her ribs with my knee, or else, she might resemble the one before.

And I don’t want any connections between the victims to warrant a serial killer alarm for the police. Oh no. The last time it happened I had to stop hunting for 3 years. 

She’s quiet now. Rearranging her body to look like a mugging gone wrong, I sweep the area for any loose ends, not worried about leaving traces behind. But I check again anyway. An over confident killer is a caught killer. 

I need to travel to a few districts to get rid of these clothes. That way there is no possibility of the police finding it in connection to her. 

I trekked back to my temporary place and took a shower. 

“This is too easy,” I whispered as water cascaded down my back. My dark brown hair plastered against my temple as I washed off the excess soap from my shoulders. I need a new challenge. I need to do something.

After a kill I am always hungry, so I decided to get a set meal from my favourite fast-food chain, McDonald's. There’s just something about eating a fillet-o-fish, large fries, and a coke after such a rigorous exercise. It almost felt like comfort food. 

The next morning, as predicted, while jogging, I saw the police cordoned off a section where she was lying. Of course, this jogger is just the persona I put on this time. I like to make sure that they will give them proper treatment after, so I pretended to be a mailman, security guard, and the occasional teacher to innocently ask what had happened in the neighbourhood. The young police officer briskly explained there was a murder, and after seeing Mr. Matsuda cursing because he knew who she was, I chorused his sentiment to help any way we could.

A detective ushered Mr. Matsuda away, and the young officer from before asked if I could wait to talk to the other one. I saw the coroner stating the obvious, and I practiced the lines I was about to perform in front of the officer as I waited to be interviewed.

“Sir?” I turned and saw an attractive law enforcer waving his hand in my direction. As a man who appreciates beauty in all forms, I could say he was quite the specimen. The epitome of a professional intellectual. He was wearing a form fitting green dress shirt. The cotton fabric stretched taut against his pecs, giving me no illusion that he was toned underneath. There was something haunting about his eyes, but looked innocent enough that I felt a sudden urge within me.

Strange. I’ve never felt this way before. I glanced at his long legs, encased in his dark skinny jeans. He seemed to notice me checking him out, and blushed.

“Sorry, I am not making you uncomfortable, am I?” I asked. He rigorously shook his head, making his wavy black hair bobbed about.

“Oh no! I’m not accusing you of anything!” he insisted. 

“I’m sorry, but I was just wondering if you really were a detective,” I replied. He gave a charming laugh.

“I am! Detective Lucas Halls,” he introduced himself and shook my hand. A jolt went through me as we touched. “Can I ask you some questions?”

I nodded yes. He asked the standard: Where was I? Did I see anything? Do I know the victim? What do I work as? I answered as generic as I could, keeping my eye on him all the time. Lucas noticed I was gazing again and reddened to the tips of his ears. Cute.

“Please don’t look at me like that,” Lucas stated, voice sounding sure and authoritative.

“Hmm...you seemed shy, but you can be intimidating when you want to be,”

“Am I wrong to assume you are checking me out?”

“Not interested?” I baited. He seemed to lose his composure for a millisecond before his hazel eyes stared me straight in the eye. “Hetero?”

“No. I’m working,” Lucas gave a curt answer. Closing his notebook he gave another nod at me. “Thank you for your help, Mr..?”

“So you are interested?” I coaxed him again. Lucas didn’t move. I sighed as I nodded at him.

“Your name?” Lucas insisted.

“It’s Eirwen. Eirwen Thomas,” Lucas smiled and passed me his number, enforcing that any contact should be strictly about the case. He waved me goodbye and I reciprocated with a smile of my own, stating he would be seeing me around. 

Shit. I just gave him my real name. Or part of it.

* * *

Lucas was an interesting specimen. I spent all night researching after him, unable to get his eyes out of my head. The way he was so devoted to his job, asking everyone in the area for information. He even went as far as hiking up 10 flights of stairs to ask about her when the elevator broke down in our apartment building. I was tempted to offer him a drink when I heard him questioning Ms Chandra next door, but I knew he would decline.

The way he was so amicable in handling the old ladies who liked to gossip by telling them to not spread rumors until they could confirm the details was so tactful, that I found myself impressed. Truth to be told, no one could dictate what those horrid 50-year-old hags could and could not do, but Lucas, just a small smile, a well-placed dessert in those old farts’ wrinkly hands, and they were agreeing to whatever he wanted.

But most importantly the way he was so pure, such an innocent soul, makes me eager to corrupt him any way that I could. I could tell upholding justice was pivotal to him. That he believed the law would get things done. A direct opposite of what I stand for.

Maybe, this is what I was waiting for.

He was what I was waiting for. And I find myself intrigued.

* * *

I saw him as I jogged the next morning. I kept my schedule tight, keeping the illusion that I was a meticulous person. Lucas smiled at me and hurried to catch me. 

“I ran into you today!” Lucas chirped. “I just came out of the building to check the crime scene again for more clues,”

Liar. You were waiting for me. You were already soaked from sweat and I could see the ice cream smeared on your pants as you waited for me to appear. 

“No you didn’t. You were waiting for me. You’re sweating and there’s ice cream on your pants,” I berated with a small whine. He seemed shocked but regained his composure.

“Also, Mr Kimura said that his wife said that you asked about me for my jogging ritual. So,” I added, pouting at the audacity. He just laughed and dropped his facade about bumping into me. He turned serious and regarded me again.

“Okay, I was waiting for you,” Lucas admitted. His cheeky persona immediately dispersed to give way to a serious one. I find myself attracted to the idea that he too, could act when the need arises. Well, two can play at this game.

“Are you saying that you WERE interested?” I smirked. Lucas hummed before taking a seat on the nearby bench. He placed his hands on the back rest and raised an eyebrow. Taking up the challenge, I sat and rested against his outstretched arm, swinging my legs. I could smell him from where I was, and I was sure he could too, if the way his nostrils flared and pupils dilated was any indication. 

“You’re good Eirwen. You’re a writer? What kind of novels do you write?” Lucas asked. I could tell he was genuinely interested.

“Crime thrillers,” I answered. At this he perked up, glancing at me in return. 

“You don’t say,” he purred. “Can I see one?” 

So, it has come down to this. He suspected me. This means he was really good at his job. It hasn’t been a day since the investigation started and already he has me in his sights. However, without evidence of me being there physically, there was no way he could pin this one on me. And I made sure to leave my phone undetected at the bar I said where I was so that my phone signals could ping off the nearby tower. It’s his hunch. 

_**How...delicious.**_

I pulled out my phone and showed him a digital copy of a novel I did publish a few years back. See Lucas, the beauty about not being caught after so long at doing this is that I have many opportunities to actually do all these oddball jobs to be my backup for future killings. Even if I said I was a bouncer, I have a photo of that too. From 4 years ago.

Lucas immediately exclaimed in delight. “Oh wow! You published already! Can you text me the title so I could check it out?”

Wait, wait, wait, wait! Did he suspect me or not? I miserably typed the title and sent it through Whatsapp. He nodded enthusiastically, promising to read it. I could feel disappointment creeping into me.

“But, you know….even though you said you were at the bar when it happened, there were no actual records of you being there. No one seemed to remember seeing you,” Lucas off handedly commented while flipping through my book. I snapped my head towards him. 

Smiling coyly, I could feel the disappointment disappearing to give way to elation. 

I was in his radar.

“But a bar is where people got drunk, so nobody could remember their own mothers anyway. And how mysterious that the camera recording the entrance seems to not be functioning that night,” Lucas commented, pretending to hum.

“Is this your way of flirting with me? Sorry, but I wasn’t really hitting on you,” I said in a sing-song tone. Lucas looked at me and laughed.

“Of course you weren’t,” Lucas agreed. But I knew he could tell I was lying. 

Oh, I definitely was interested in him. But not in the way that he thought I was. Our staring competition was cut off when Lucas’s phone rang.

“Hey, Kimo! What!?? You can’t see me for lunch? Boohoo~! Oh, a new case? A kid? Hmm, okay!” Lucas hung up and smiled at me.

“I gotta go Eirwen. I was supposed to meet my friend but he has another case to help out,” He wiped off the dust from his buttocks. This time he just stared at me for a while before turning around to leave. The next time I saw Lucas would be the turning point for both of us.


	2. Eldest Dearest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to add, this fic has a lot of cussing. A lot.

Two months after that fateful meeting, I once again saw Lucas at my apartment building. He was talking to the family and bowed to say that he was sorry there were no new leads for the case.

As I knew there would not be.

He stiffened as he saw me, but nodded without a smile. I had to admit, I kind of missed him a little bit. And today, he looked impeccable with a slim fitting shirt and work slacks. I find myself calling him before I could think it over.

“Do you want to get a drink?”

_**What the fuck am I doing?!** _

Lucas looked at his drink, avoiding eye contact. He seemed nonchalant, something that does not fit in well with me. I could have sworn he was attracted to me, or maybe I had misjudged his subtle glances when we met each other months ago. 

“So, the case is going nowhere,” I started the conversation. Lucas scoffed and stared at me.

“We have no witnesses,” He added. Of course there isn’t. I made sure of it.

He looked at his cup once again.“I hate it when the criminal gets away with it,”

“Maybe they had their reasons,” I supplied. Lucas looked at me, surprised that I could utter those words.

“Are you saying she deserved it?” Lucas asked. 

“I’m saying, there is always another side to the story. She was robbed, right? What if the person was just hungry?” I carefully worded my case. I wanted him to see that there are justifiable crimes. Because if he could agree to that, he would start to see that justice is flawed. And if that happens, it'll be easier for me to draw him to me.

“It is never okay to take someone’s life just because you think yours have higher value,” Lucas replied. “Killers kill when they think one life is less meaningful than theirs,”

“What if the person was protecting someone?”

“Then you still think the victim is lesser than that of the person you are protecting,” Lucas replied. “And when you have wrongfully taken what is not yours, you pay for it,”

“You mean by using the law,” I surmised. His gaze told me everything I needed to know. “The law isn’t perfect. There are many criminals who got out because of it,” 

“Nothing is. But if you take the law into your hands, it’s just YOUR law,” he insisted. 

I’m starting to think maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew. We finished our drinks in silence while I stew with this development. Lucas was so dead set to believe in the law. He was so loyal to something that is fundamentally flawed that I yearned to have someone who could be just as loyal to me. I knew then that I had to have him. I need to change him. 

He needed to be by my side.

“Look, I don’t think we should be doing this,” Lucas stated.

“It’s just two guys having a drink,” I replied. He looked like I was stabbing him with a spoon so I kindly shut my mouth.

“Okay, maybe I should just say it out loud. Yes, I am attracted to you. No, I am not mentally prepared to be friends while I’m sorting this out. Yes, eventually I would like to be friends with you because I think you are interesting,” Lucas finished his drink and threw the empty cup into the bin.

“But until I can do that, please don’t contact me anymore,” Lucas bit out with such finality that I was sure I wouldn’t see him again. As he started walking away I pulled his hand to stop his trek. 

“Wait!”

He was whipped into turning around so fast that he lost his balance and toppled back onto the chair onto me. For a moment he blushed so red that all the blood seemed to rush to his face. He steadied himself by gripping onto my shoulders, the intimate position making on-lookers gasped with sheer scandal. 

“Eirwen!”

“I..I..I’m interested!” I stuttered out. At this point, I would do anything to keep in contact with him. I needed to be close to him so I could entice him to me. 

“We can be friends! I’m a very principled person, so I wouldn’t try anything,” I told him. Lucas released his grip and stood a few feet away.

“Eirwen, I find it very difficult to NOT develop feelings for you if we stayed in close contact. I’m the kind of person who puts my all in a relationship because I want it to last, be it romantically,” he explained, trailing off as he watches my reaction. Which was none.

“Or platonically. But to do that, I need a clear mind. So in order to distinguish between those lines, I need to stop being attracted to you so I can pursue you as a friend,” Lucas stopped to stare at me when his phone chimed, signaling a message. He glanced at the screen before cursing. Without saying goodbye, he left me.

Somehow I felt like I just lost for the first time.

* * *

When I was scouting for my next victim, I would research all the possible habits the animal would have. Because that is what humans ultimately are. An animal. Sometimes it takes months before I’m ready for the role. I would always research into what character I would be that would either attract or make my hunt deemed me safe. But this one. 

Lucas Halls.

He was a special animal. The last I saw him was 3 weeks ago, and my limited resources have turned up with nothing. I stared at the countless photos I have of him, plastered onto every inch of my bedroom walls. And even the ceiling. The more I look at him, the more my hunger for him grows. Some of these photos were of him when he was a child, some of him from just his shower this morning. I needed to insert myself back into his life. I picked up my phone and dialled.

“Hey, I need a favour,”

* * *

My eldest brother sauntered into my apartment like he owned it. He threw the thick envelope onto the bed, where I was still lazing on, not having the drive to move since this morning. I pulled out the contents, feeling a bit placated that I saw Lucas’s most recent photo of him having a club sandwich. 

“Cute,” 

Dion wasted no time in appearing beside me.“What is this about?” he asked, intrigued. I showed him the picture.

“Detective Lucas Halls is attractive, yes, but you have killed more attractive ones before. What warrants my involvement that you couldn’t research yourself?” Dion pressed. Typical eldest, they want and assume to know everything. 

“I’m not going to kill him,” Dion immediately pulled out his phone and called our grandfather.

"Grandpapa, it has arrived. Not Kano! Eirwen. I am surprised myself,” Dion reported. This asshat, how dare he reported me to that windbag.

“What are you doing?! Don’t call that geezer!” I tried to knock the phone off him but alas, he was more agile than me. That and he trained me himself, so he was pretty much immune to all of my moves. He easily maneuvered to sit on my back.

“It is a man. A detective,” Dion sighed dramatically. “Yes, I might have to kill him,”

The coldness of his words snapped something inside of me. I bucked him with every strength I could muster and reached for the small blade within my pant leg. I always have one on me. He seemed surprised that I used all my energy to throw him off.

“Touch him and you die!” I snarled. No one can hurt him! The small blade stopped inches before his face.

Dion regarded me with calculating eyes. Humming to himself, he excused from his call with grandfather to look at me. Realizing that I was serious, he grabbed the blade with his hand, not even flinching as the sharp edges cut through his skin. As blood seeps slowly down his snow white skin, he hardened his gaze to address me.

“Are you serious?” my silence answered for me. We both let go of the blade, and he pressed his other hand to stem the blood flow. Sighing for the hundredth time, he picked up his fallen bag by the bed and moved out.

“I must inform grandfather of this. And you pray Kano is still out of the country. We have to plan for contingencies Eirwen, lest you want your marriage to last,” 

“The fuck Dion?! I’m not going to marry Lucas!!” I shouted angrily. Looking at the room, Dion paused and smirked.

“You will,”

Fuck him. He doesn’t know anything. I chew on a piece of toast noisily to protest Dion’s notion that I was attracted to Lucas. Which I was, but not in the way that he thought. Skimming through his notes about Lucas, I found one weakness that I could exploit and draw him back to me. 

More often than not, Lucas would take on child abuse cases and be reprimanded when he got too violent with the suspects. So Detective Lucas has a soft spot for people being beaten, how knightly of him. It fits him very well. And I know the perfect bait who lives just below my apartment. 

That night I had a weird dream.

_ “What...don’t!” Lucas’s breathy voice reverberated in the small room. He was chained up against the chair, and there was already blood spilling from his lips.  _

_ “Give in,” I commanded. His determined stare made my blood boil. _

_ “Never!” _

Huh. That was weird. I woke up to prepare for the day. I need to do more research. 


	3. I am so ATRRACTED!

Lucas looked at Kimoni Fraser as the man typed on his computer. When the message came about another child being found dead, the department had been buzzing with palpable tension. Looking at the pattern, another one would appear soon. Lucas had seen many of its kind to know it.

A serial killer in the making. 

Kimoni was pulling all night shifts to browse through countless video footage and witness accounts, but the killer seemed to be a ghost. Like the girl case. No evidence, no DNA, no murder weapon. That case was a bust.

But the two children though, were very different in that the only thing tying them together was manner of death and age. They were 5 years old, beaten to death. At the exact same spot, the chest. Killed 2 months apart. 

Kendrich Wong, our consulting pathologist confirmed that they were both killed by blunt force trauma, though it looked like asphyxiation. Kendrich was also telling Kimo that they were due for a drink sometime soon, and that he needed some action if he was going to be seeing more young dead bodies.

“Kendrich said he needed some action,” Lucas offhandedly remarked. 

“Is it because the new delivery boy assigned to this area that he’d been eying on is on a holiday break?” Kimo asked. Many times, Kendrich would target new officers and or interns to have flings with. Heck, one time Kendrich even flirted with the new barista at the cafe next door even when the man made shitty coffee. So giving out smooth talk wasn’t a chore for Kendrich. But this is the first time someone seemed to really rattled him. They were quite close, to the point that Kendrich would invite the man out for drinks some time. 

“Hmm, such a weird guy too, that Chris. He always timed his delivery when Kendrich is flirting with someone,” Lucas hummed. Chances are, Chris is interested in Kendrich, but isn’t confident to make a move. And playboy Kendrich might just be friend-zoning him. But Lucas has his own love life to worry about.

Lucas had been with Eirwen too when they found the second body. Speaking of Eirwen, Lucas wondered if he was alright. What an exotic name, when googled it means ‘white as snow’. Eirwen was definitely that; very plain, but there was a pleasant light to him. And Lucas knew the man was intelligent. Highly so too. Lucas had always found intellectuals to be sexy, especially the unseeming ones. And he was trained in martial arts. Lucas could just tell. Lucas was trying so hard not to kiss him when he fell onto Eirwen. And then Kimo had to go and message him.

Speaking of Kimo, he has been trying to find information about Eirwen the moment he spoke to him at the crime scene. But when it turned out empty, Lucas knew there was something special about him. The man was a mystery that he wanted to solve. He was a detective by profession. While Kimo was going through the case files, his software had been running in the background through the FBI database to see if there was anything he could find on Eirwen. And so far, it has been empty. 

“Are you thinking about your Eirwen?” Kimo asked out of the blue. Lucas coughed to cover his thoughts. 

“What?! No~!” Lucas rebutted, gaining colour as he swatted the memory of almost falling onto Eirwen’s lap away.

“I think you should forget him. It’s been what? Almost 3 months, and nothing came up. Someone high up is covering for him,” Kimo stated as he watched the video footage. Once again, the perpetrator covered his tracks perfectly. He was not seen anywhere near the crime scene at the time of death. One minute nothing, the next, the body was found.

“Pssh, no way! Something is definitely fishy about him. Who doesn’t have any digital trace of their life? I mean, if you type my name, that embarrassing photo on our precinct’s blog will come up,”

“Nothing comes up when you type my name,” Kimo disagreed.

“That’s because you erased yourself Kimo. You think I don’t know about your dark web dealings?” Lucas replied.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kimo huffed. Lucas hummed and kept looking at the video footage. He can’t stop thinking about Eirwen.

“He’s so smart it’s sexy,” Lucas complained. “Maybe I should seduce him,”

“Lucas, this is making me uncomfortable,” Kimo stated, serious.

“I can only talk about this to you, since you’re one of my two friends,” 

“We’re not friends, we’re colleagues,”

“Kimo, I’ve seen your undies more than once, we’re friends,” Lucas retorted, pinching Kimoni’s cheeks. Kimo tsked and punched him lightly in the gut. Lucas admitted defeat and announced he was going home. Kimo opened up a playlist in the background to prepare for another all-nighter.

* * *

Kimo’s gaze snapped as a notification sounded from his desktop. He had run into a firewall when trying to access Eirwen’s files from the FBI database. 

“Personnel records not found?” Kimo murmured out loud. “The FBI doesn’t use that error message. How intriguing,” Kimo set to work, typing up commands on his programme.

“Warning, you are trying to access classified files,” a SIRI like voice resounded from his speakers. 

“Oh, now I know you are a hacker. FBI doesn’t pay APPLE to lend their AI,” Kimo chuckled. As he got to typing again, a sudden flash from his webcam made him jump.

“He accessed my webcam illegally?!” Kimo grunted. Searching for a post-it, he placed it in front of the camera. He had never been hacked before, so he didn’t bother covering his camera before this, like a diligent hacker should.

“If you can hear me, I bet you’re Asian. Because no matter how good you are, there will always be an Asian that can do better. Am I right?” Kimo asked again, getting fired up. 

“Thing is, I’m Asian too. So let’s see who is better?” Kimo urged. 2 seconds later, his screen jammed, signaling that his attacker had defeated his firewall and succeeded in planting a virus.

“You fucking Asian!” Kimo swiped his keyboard to the floor. He was beaten. But then his phone pinged, making him smile.

“Heh, one pic for you, one pic for me,” Kimo opened the picture and was suddenly bombarded with dark eyes and a chiseled face.

…..

“ You’re handsome,”

* * *

_ “ You’re handsome,” _

Dion raised an eyebrow as the man’s praise reached his ears. He was annoyed that his picture was taken, but he was appropriately attired that he was sure the man would enjoy his striking visuals.

He also looked at the picture of one Kimoni Fraser. This man had been trying to access files about Eirwen for 3 months already. And now he knows his face. But he’s not worried, since he moves in the shadows, the likelihood of seeing Kimoni or Lucas was slim to none.

He knew he should have killed Lucas. Now, he’s nothing but trouble. And his hacker friend was good too. They could unravel things about his family.

Now, to report to grandfather or not?

* * *

Lucas was about to sleep when his ringtone blared to life.

It was Eirwen. It took him half a millisecond to decide to pick it up. He was surprised when he saw that Eirwen had video called him. Shitz! He smoothed out his wayward hair and gave off a serious look.

“Eirwen, I thought I told you..,”

“Hey, I know, but I need to report something. I was out watering my plants on the balcony when I heard the boy downstairs crying. I think the father is hitting him,” Eirwen’s voice sounds concerned, and out in the background, Lucas can hear the faintest of screams.

“What?! Why didn’t you call the police?” Lucas was already wearing his shoes, slipping on a jacket. He rushed to his car and started driving.

“You are the police,” Eirwen’s voice sounded exasperated. If it wasn’t a call about a potential abuse, Lucas would have laughed at his tone. Lucas bet he was scrunching his face right now, or maybe even pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Listen, Eirwen, I know this is a bit much, but can you..,”

“I’m waiting for you beside their unit. It’s a recreational area where residents can hang out and smoke. You know it right? My floor has the same layout,” Eirwen cut Lucas’s speech off.

“Okay, don’t do anything stupid,”

* * *

“Hi sir! Me and boyfriend here was kinda wondering if you have a lighter somewhere? We wanted to smoke but we forgot to bring ours,” Lucas smiled as the tenant from 3-12 opened his door. His hands were dangerously low on Eirwen’s hip, almost innocently clutching at the man’s left butt cheek. 

A small boy, about 6 years old appeared from behind the tenant. He looks relieved that someone had interrupted them that night. Lucas’s eyes glinted as he saw the gesture. When he arrived he had heard the shouts from the recreational area. He didn’t hesitate and immediately grabbed Eirwen into position.

“I don’t do things for free,” the boy’s father huffed. Lucas eyed the mails that were left outside. Nathan Lim was the man’s name. Lucas smiled again and gestured to Eirwen.

“Of course sir! Baby, can you grab my wallet from my back pocket?” Lucas asked. Eirwen trailed his hand from where Lucas had placed it before this whole drama, which was on Lucas’s right butt cheek, by the way, and confidently grabbed the wallet from his back pocket. Lucas thinks he can play all he wants and Eirwen would just stand by? No sir.

“Here love,” Eirwen said, while passing the wallet to Lucas. Using his free hand (remember, one hand was on Eirwen’s ass) Lucas flipped it to pay something to Nathan. And by doing so he flashed his police badge to Nathan, who visibly flinched when he saw it.

“Oops! Hehe, sorry. I’m off duty so there's no gun on me,” Lucas joked. Eirwen felt his heart rate increased. Lucas was acting like a doofus, but his moves were calculated, he’s intentionally telling the man that he’s a cop, making the man think twice to do anything to his son. All the while acting like a bumbling twink with his boyfriend, out for a smoke.

“Here you go, sir? I hope this is enough?” Lucas asked as he pulled a 5 from his wallet. The man grunted and snatched the bill before disappearing into the house. The small boy looks at them before asking Eirwen.

“Mr. Thomas, is this your boyfriend? I thought you were single?” Eirwen laughed and patted the boy’s hair.

“Yeah, Kit. He’s my boyfriend,” Lucas felt butterflies in his stomach as Eirwen said that they were together. How he wished it was true. But more so to the close relationship between Kit and Eirwen. 

“Why Kit? Does it matter if he’s single or not?” Lucas asked. Kit seemed to think before replying to Lucas.

“I was gonna marry him,” Kit whined. Eirwen laughed again and said that it was okay, that he was going to marry Kit instead. He’d never thought this day would come, but when Kit said that, it makes him want to bitch slap a kid. And he hated violence.

“Here you go,” Nathan came back with a lighter. It was half empty too. What a rip off. Lucas chirped a thank you and childishly hugged Eirwen close, making Kit upset. But instead of his cheeky attitude, he turned completely docile. Lucas knew it was because of his father. 

“Well, see you around Kit, me and Eirwen will probably end up watching The Avengers for the 20th time, so I’ll be sleeping here,” Lucas nodded politely to Nathan and pulled me away, back to my apartment.

* * *

“I hope you’re okay with me sleeping here,” Lucas announced.

“Like I have a choice,” I complained petulantly.

“You’re not going to ask why?”

The look I was giving him made his eye dilate. He knew I knew it was because he wanted to be here if anything happens to Kit. He could have just gone home after playing boyfriend, but to actually follow through?

His dedication excites me. Like he will be dedicated to me after I turn him.

“Keep the balcony door open,” Lucas requested. He wanted to hear if there are any disturbances from below. My breath spikes.

“Would you like a blanket? I assume you want to sleep on the sofa?” I asked, heading to my room. Shit! His pictures are everywhere. I pulled out the lightbulb just in case he comes in here. I brought out the blanket and extra pillow tripping on non-existent causes on my way back.

Got to keep up appearances.

“Thanks but I’m not going to sleep,” Lucas stated after he made sure I was okay. His gaze was already on the balcony. He sat on the POANG recliner, staring at me.

I laid the pillow on the sofa and dropped my body there. 

“Here?” he asked, probably surprised that I wanted to sleep out here. Anything to keep the man away from his shrine in my room.

“I want to hear too,” I replied.

The chuckle that he let out lulled me to sleep.

* * *

He was going to seduce him. He had to. There was no way he would let a man this, this…There were no words for Eirwen. He loved it that he cared enough about Kit to call Lucas. He loved it that he would not hesitate to Lucas’s half-baked plans to make sure Nathan knew he was a cop. He loved it that he let Lucas sleep here because he knew he was worried about Kit.

He’s so unguarded! Lucas made his way slowly towards his face. He should kiss him...NO! Consent! Consent! Arrrrrghhhh~!

“I am so attracted~!” Lucas whispered into the night.


	4. Am I weird ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Killing, inappropriate hard on, texting possible dangerous stranger half naked pictures, lots of cussing

The next morning Lucas was already gone when I woke up. True to his word, Lucas didn’t sleep the night. His breathing pattern was erratic, at one point it even sounded breathy. Huh.

I made my way to the kitchen to see coffee and some toast and eggs benedict. Lucas could cook too? He’s too perfect. I wasted no time in digging in. After breakfast and some excellent coffee, I changed my clothes and headed out for a jog. Deciding for once to take the emergency stairs this time, I was stopped as I heard Lucas’s voice. He was just outside 3-12, Kit’s place. I hid behind the door of the emergency staircase to hear what Lucas was talking about.

“What do you mean illegal photo-taking can’t be submitted as grounds to file for abuse charges?! Those photos are real!” Lucas barked out. The person at the other end seemed to be saying something back which made Lucas angrier.

“Fine! I’ll find more witnesses. If something happened to that kid, I’ll get you for this,” Lucas warned. He took one more look at Kit’s unit before pressing the elevator to go down, presumably to work. Making sure he was completely gone, I was about to come out for the next lift when Kit’s door slammed open. 

Seems like Nathan Lim was at home. And he heard the conversation too. This looks bad for Kit.

* * *

“That fucking cop! He thinks he can press charges against me!” Nathan grunted out, then took out his phone to dial a number.

“I’ll show him first,”

* * *

“What do you mean I can’t go there anymore? I’m still investigating the homicide in that area!” Lucas complained. His team captain scrunched his nose and turned to look at Lucas.

“There was a complaint from one of the residents that you were disturbing them and stalking their kid,”

“He’s hitting his kid!”

“Oh, no. Not another one, Lucas. The last time this happened, we almost got a civil lawsuit,” the Captain remarked. Lucas kept his cool, he didn’t want to trigger another breakdown.

For the captain of course.

“Look, I got a kid too Lucas, but simply acting on your own is not sanctioned,” Captain told Lucas.

“I don’t want it to be too late,” Lucas rebutted. What if he waited too long?

“I know, what you can do is try to make the neighbours more aware of the boy’s condition, so they’ll be extra vigilant. Once they make a report you can do whatever you want,” Captain conceded. At this Lucas perked up, already making small reminders to call Eirwen.

He excused himself and looked up Eirwen’s chat message. He texted what the captain said and went to work. 

By 1 p.m. Eirwen didn’t text back. Luxas felt a gut wrenching twist in his stomach. Something was up. His intuition was giving off alarms.

“Kimo, track this number!” Lucas exclaimed as he barged into Kimo’s lab. Kimo tsked but tracked it anyway. They waited for a few minutes before a sound signalled that Kimo was able to triangulate Eirwen’s position.

“He’s at the wooded area near the jogging track,” Kimo said, but wasn’t surprised when Lucas was already gone. 

“He thinks he’s Batman? Can disappear on me when he gets information?” Kimo mumbled. He was about to continue on with the dead children’s case when his phone pinged. He grinned when he recognised the ring tone. 

Mr Hacker has just texted back.

* * *

  
  


**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_Hey Asian, I hope you enjoyed my picture._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Did watching too much underworld porn destroy your retinas? I’m clearly not Asian._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_And your picture is in trash already._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_That’s because you took a picture of me impromptu. Here’s one when I’m actually posing for it._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni sent a picture._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_Hey, Asian? Are you okay? Asiiiiaaaan~_ **

* * *

That was 4 hours ago. Now he’s ready for whatever Hacker-san sent his way.

Or not.

“Oi, Kimo, how about that lunch?” Kendrich asked as he entered the lab. But all he saw was Kimo on the floor, with blood coming out of his nose.

“Kimo! Man! Were you attacked?! Kimo!” Kendrich felt his pulse, feeling relieved that it wasn’t life-threatening. He elevated Kimo’s head to stem the blood flow, and looked at his phone which was lying innocently on the ground beside Kimo.

But the picture was anything but innocent.

“KIMO WHY DID YOU SEND A HALF NAKED PICTURE OF YOU TO THIS RANDOM CITIZEN??! AND WHY DID THIS RANDOM BUT ATTRACTIVE CITIZEN SENT YOU A PICTURE OF HIM HALF NAKED BACK?! Oh god, I should have tried contacting Chris to see if HE was back from holiday,” Kendrich grunted.

* * *

“I’m sorry Mr Lim, but I can’t let you take Kit away,” Eirwen smiled as he stopped for a private conversation. Nathan looked around them, and seeing no one nearby dropped his neutral face to snarl at Eirwen.

“I can do what I fucking want to my kid. You and your homo cop can’t do anything about it!” Nathan shouted back. “I thought this is about that damn cop pressing charges, but turns out his pussy wife wanted to show that he’s a man too?”

“Are you sure you want to take Kit away?” Eirwen asked again, hands going into his pocket.

“I’m gonna take him away where no one will care what I do to him!” Nathan boasted. “That shit deserves it after all the things I have to do for him!”

“And there’s nothing you can do about it,” Nathan added. “I’m going to kill you if you think you can stop me!!!” 

Watching something from the corner of his eyes, Eirwen waited for some time, 

then dropped his calm persona and cracked his neck. He mussed up his hair with his free hand, making it messier and dropped his cheery tone.

“And here I thought I won’t have to use them today,” Eirwen took out his hand from his pocket, a pair of dark thick gloves along with it. Nathan became struck at the change of tone. This man was completely different from the Thomas that visited him yesterday. Shy quiet Thomas who would occasionally treat and play with Kit. Cheerful Thomas who would trip on his feet while throwing out the trash.

“Who are you?!” Nathan asked, backing away from the man out of fear. Every instinct in him was screaming for him to RUN. He turned around and was about to dash off when Eirwen rushed towards him and bent low to swipe Nathan’s feet with his left leg. Nathan tripped and turned to face Eirwen, bringing out his arms to punch his attacker. But Eirwen had smoothly and fastidiously straddled him, pinning his arms beside him as he turned. While Nathan was struggling for his life, Eirwen only used his lower body to subdue him, putting on his gloves.

“Look at that, this is how she looked that night,” Eirwen chuckled, sexily. He abruptly reached for Nathan’s neck, putting pressure.

“You...ackk..killed that..girl…??” Nathan gasped, face already blue. 

“Hmmm. Oh, I have to finish this,” wasting no time, he reached for a nearby rock and smashed it to the man’s side a couple of times, making him bleed out. Nathan lost consciousness after the first blow. Eirwen then took out a knife and placed it in Nathan’s hand. He then held both within his hand and stabbed himself just beneath the ribs. 

He threw the rock from before just next to Nathan’s body when he heard the rustling of leaves. The knife was left in Nathan’s hand. 

What an unexpected turn of events.

Lucas found him.

* * *

When Lucas saw Eirwen, the man was standing near a body, blood all over his face and trickling down his ribs. Looking at the body, Lucas could identify the man as Nathan Lim. And he was clearly dead. 

He was about to ask Eirwen if he was okay, when he noticed Eirwen staring back at him. He was bleeding, but he didn’t seem to be in pain.

Eirwen was watching him closely, the man looking totally different from the one he met before. His eyes had turned cold, and he no longer spouted a slick, neat hairdo. 

This Eirwen was 1000% sexier than the one he’s known! This can’t be the same guy!

“Are you Eirwen’s evil twin?”

The question threw Eirwen off, and he laughed in such a low baritone that Lucas couldn’t help but feel stirrings in his chest. And of course, his penis. Shit, even his laugh was sexy~

He was not supposed to have a boner with a dead body so near but whaaaaaaaa…..


	5. Stalker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Stalker like behaviour, brother complex, murder (abusive parent)

“Where is Eirwen?” Kano asked as he stepped into the Aldrich manor. His Grandpapa looked up from his Amazon tablet to greet his youngest grandson.

“Your brother is out for a hunt. How was business in Thailand?”

“The same. That family will have to meet with us soon, but I met with the Head Family to smooth out the details,” Kano replied. He tried to contact Eirwen when he got back, but it went straight to voicemail.

He really was on a hunt.

Kano guessed he could visit his favourite subject while he was waiting for Eirwen. It has been sometime since he saw him.

“You’re going to stalk him again?” Grandpapa deadpanned.

“Yup,” Kano replied. Grandpapa sighed in defeat.

“Kano, just ask him out,”

“I can’t just ask the consulting pathologist for the police department of New City out for a drink Grandpapa. I need to...desensitize him,”

Desensitize was the right word. If his subject found out what kind of work the Aldrich’s were doing, he might not stay long. 

“I could still remember like it was 2 years ago,” Kano hummed.

* * *

“Don’t have flashbacks Kano, this isn’t a manga..,”

_ Kano had brought the victim’s clothes for processing down at the station. _

“Fuck Kano I said no flashbacks!”

_ Get out of my flashback Grandpapa! Where was I? Oh yeah… _

_ Kano had brought the victim’s clothes for processing down at the station. His latest kill was a middle aged man who was reported to have gambling debts in the thousands. Naturally, someone wanted him gone. Kano had disguised himself as a police officer to plant some evidence so that they would follow the breadcrumbs and leave him scott free. _

_ “I’m telling you Lucas, he was not killed because he fell onto a metal spike by accident. He was killed because someone used a frozen spike to incapacitate him first then let him fall on the metal spike, making it look like an accident,” a smooth voice resounded from the morgue. Kano hid himself behind some shelves to listen in. _

_ “Okay, what’s your proof?” the detective, Lucas asked. _

_ “There were actually two points of trajectory for him, one made by the metal spike and one from another one. Since there was no other weapons there, I asked Kimo to show crime scene photos,” _

_ “Kimo can’t do that!” _

_ “Oh shut it you wanker. There was lots of water at the scene right? And a suspicious broken vase that shouldn’t have water in the first place since there were no flowers. So I think the killer used an ice spike as a weapon and let it melt, blending in with the spilt water. He doesn’t need to kill the victim too. He just needs to apply enough force to make the victim go into shock and then let him fall onto the metal spike,” _

_ “It will be great if we can prove it, Kendrich,” Lucas grumbled.  _

_ “The trajectory can be ground for inconsistencies. I’ll get the lab to analyze water samples. There has to be 2 sources! One from the vase, and one from the ice spike!” _

_ Fortunately, I was very smart in my planning, little Kendrich. Not only did I use a carpet so that any water couldn’t be collected without being contaminated, but also, I used the same water source for the vase and the ice spike. But your observant eye has me intrigued. I need to see the man who almost caught me. _

_ Ooooooohhhh~ Shit. He’s gorgeous. I got to have him. _

* * *

“I’m gonna say this again, Kano. He’s not a dog,” Grandpapa huffed from his spot.

“You’re just jealous I have a doctor boyfriend,” soon to be. He’s practically Kano’s husband now, with the many photo albums Kano had of him. Even his face was all over Kano’s walls. Kano waved back to his Grandpapa and made his way out. After seeing that Kendrich was okay, he’ll track down Eirwen.

* * *

“Are you going to stare at me with a hard on or…?” I asked. Tone serious and I pulled off the gloves. I tucked them back into my pants, face devoid of any emotions.

This is me. The real Eirwen. Not the playful, clumsy friendly person that Lucas knew for the past months.

“Did you..?”

“It was self defense,” I replied, tone serious. I looked up and changed my demeanour in a split second.

“Kit! I’m sorry,” I cried out. I changed my tone higher now, and there was a whiny hint to it. From the corner of Lucas’s eyes the small boy appeared and went straight to hug me. 

“Thomas!!”

“What happened here?!” the security guard from their place asked and gasped as he saw Nathan’s body. Kit and me both looked at us with fearful eyes.

What happened to the confident person just now?! 

Who is this man?

* * *

“He threatened to kill me when I told him to not take Kit away,” I muttered. I had been treated because my stab wound wasn’t that deep. Somehow, Lucas did not seem surprised. They were at the interrogation room, both Kit and me were giving our testimonies in separate rooms.

“I told Kit that I didn’t want him to go, because I knew what his father was doing. So I told him that I was going to try and talk to his father. But suddenly he just shouted he wanted to kill me..and he came at me! I p-p-panicked when he.....he stabbed me with a knife! I learned some taekwondo in high school, so I guess instincts started kicking in. We were already on the ground by then, so I used my thighs to grip him and flipped us over,” I took a deep breath and asked for some water. If Lucas didn’t just witness sexy confident psychopath Eirwen, he would have totally believed I was a victim. His face was skeptical all this while.

“He lost control of the knife as I squeezed his arms to his body...we both started grabbing for something..him, the knife and me...anything that I could find to protect myself. I guess I found the rock first,” I stuttered, in a total mess.

“He really started to struggle and I lost the strength of my legs...so I used the rock on him a couple of times...might be more than 5...I only stopped when he wasn’t moving..,” I cried, a few tears cascading down his cheeks. The captain looked at Lucas to confirm his recounts.

“By the time I arrived, Nathan was already dead, and he was just standing there,” he said. He couldn’t bring himself to say what he witnessed in between that and Kit arriving.

“Then the crime scene and body will testify his truth,” the Captain grunted out.

* * *

“His story checks out. The bruises on Nathan’s arms and sides were consistent with the leg technique of a taekwondo expert. And the blunt force trauma to the head showed multiple hits,” Kendrich reported. “I couldn’t lift off prints from the rock, but the shape matches the hits on Nathan’s head. The knife had Nathan’s fingerprints,so he was stabbed by our victim,”

“Kit’s story also matches his testimony. The boy followed them, then saw his father threatening to kill Eirwen. He ran off to get help, scared that his buddy will get hurt,” Captain added. “Looks like an open and shut case of self defense,” 

Except it wasn’t open and shut. Lucas was about to go into the interrogation room when a man asked to see Eirwen.

“And you are?” Lucas asked. The man looked to be in his fifties, with a regal air surrounding him.

“I’m Thaddeus Aldrich. Attorney to Eirwen,”

* * *

“How did you know I was here?”

“Well, someone told me. Is that the detective you love? He’s handsome. You may keep him,” Thaddeus smirked. Eirwen growled, feeling protective of Lucas.

“Keep your eyes to yourself,”

“Oh, Eirie, you do love him?!” Thaddeus gasped in mock surprise. 

“Shut it, was it Dion? How did that ass know I was in here,” Eirwen complained. Thaddeus stopped his mocking to look at Eirwen.

“It was Kano,” Thaddeus told. Eirwen took a sharp breath. His baby brother was back. Shit.

“Wait..Kano’s boyfriend is the pathologist from this precinct?!” Eirwen shouted. 

Double shit!

“Yup~ And he was watching..”

“Stalking,” Eirwen cut off.

“WATCHING his beau when he saw you walking in here,” Thaddeus summarised. “I assume you told them it was self defense,”

“Hmm,” Eirwen confirmed.

“I’ll get you out Eiry,” Thaddeus smiled as he promised Eirwen.

* * *

Kimo perked up from resting his head on his table as an alarm blared. He typed his password to log into his computer and checked the notification.

Another boy had been found dead, 5 years old, with the same patterns as the previous two cases. They officially have a serial killer on their hands. He guessed it was all good timing that Lucas could focus on solving this case while Eirwen was in custody. The man looked familiar too, like someone he knew. 

He waited patiently for video footage from the current crime scene. If the last 2 cases had anything to go by with, he wouldn’t find anything. But it never hurts to try.


	6. Get Out Kano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Sex scenes (I should probably change it to explicit), using sex as a means, accidental spying of brother about to have sex, brother complex, actually this chapter is one long sex scene. Just be warned.

True to his word, the judge ruled it as self defense, and I was out of there faster than an Amazon online purchase. I told Thaddeus I was going to pack my things and wait out the heat of both killings before starting hunting again, and I asked Thaddeus to hold off Kano from seeking me out. I’ll see him once I get home.

As soon as I stepped into my unit, Lucas was already waiting. He sat there, on the POANG, staring at me. From the way he was staring, I knew it was detective mode Lucas, and the man had brought his intellect to play.

How exciting.

“You killed Nathan. Not because of self-defense,” Lucas said. 

“...,”

“You chose to use a rock because we can’t lift prints of the surface, but the gloves weren't used for that purpose. It was used to make sure whatever story you concocted won’t be unravelled should your prints end up somewhere else. You were wearing thick black gloves that day,” 

“Was I?” I approached the detective slowly.

“You probably threw it somewhere on the way to the station. Somewhere I couldn’t find it,” Lucas goaded. I felt my blood slowly heating up. Just listening to Lucas deciphering my moves was exhilarating. 

“You had him subdued with that leg grip technique from the beginning. The angle of the bruises didn’t coincide with him holding the knife and being gripped by your…,” Lucas’s eyes trailed down to stare at my thick thighs. I grabbed Lucas’s hands and forcefully placed them on my thighs, where I had used them to grip Nathan. He was shocked and tried to pull them away, but his moves only made his hands inch closer upwards. Lucas stopped moving his hands when I moaned lowly.

“My thighs….,” I breathed out. Lucas was staring at me from underneath his eye lashes, hands suddenly grabbing my thighs in a bruising grip. He trailed his hands outwards and pushed them towards my backside.

“You stabbed yourself just to make it believable. You planned on Kit seeing you and waited for him to run off before attacking his father,” Lucas husked out. His hands were massaging my butt cheeks.

“He was going to take Kit away,” I whined, distracted by his actions to hold myself back. I didn’t expect him to be this bold! I gripped his shoulders as a weak attempt to stop him.

“I know..Kit told us what he said to you,” Lucas hummed, pulling me closer to him that my hips were inches away from his face. He used his mouth to rip off two buttons from my dress shirt.

“Lucas~!,” I cried out.

“Did you kill Nathan to save Kit?” Lucas prodded. He began to lick just below my navel, on the seam of my skinny jeans. I tried to push him off, things were spiralling too out of control. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I wanted to confront him. I still have to explain so many things. That I was attracted to him since the first time. I was attracted that he could see through my moves. Attracted to his dedication to his cases, to Kit.

And I missed him.

I missed him when he left me. I missed him while I was waiting to be released.

My resistance seemed to anger him. He bit just above my hips and sucked hard, hands now fully wrapping around me. I tried to dislodge him and he stopped his sucking to stare at me. Eyes fully blown with desire.

“You want me to stop?” He husked. What a gentleman. I could feel his hardness against my leg. 

“Can you do it if I ask?” I challenged him. My hands flexed on his shoulders. He didn’t even hesitate to release his hold. He inched back a bit to wait for my move holding me at half an arms length.

This selfless jerk! This...this!

“You’re a righteous bastard!” I growled before attacking his lips. Lowering myself, I straddled his hips and placed my hands at the back of his head. He smirked around my lips before using both hands to rip my shirt apart. I was busy kissing him at different angles to notice his hand reaching up to hold mine.

“Sorry Eirwen, I’m not going to stop...or yield,” Lucas warned me as he pulled back, my dazed look turning into shock as he brought both of my hands forcefully in front of me, between us. 

“Lucas!” I gasped as he used my shirt to tie my hands together. He wasted no time in 

gripping my waist with his left hand and bringing me up to lick my left nipple. I twisted in his grasp to deepen the pressure. 

Somewhere along the line he had maneuvered us to lie down on the sofa where I slept that night, me pinned helplessly beneath him. Somewhere along the line he had stripped us both from our lower garments. Somewhere along the line, he had prepped me. All of this done in between him kissing me and sucking on my chest. I couldn’t stop moaning/whining/shouting his name. He looked positively evil as I urged him to enter me, tip just at the rim.

“When Grandpapa said you were going to be home soon, I thought you will be doing it ASAP,” a disgruntled voice complained from the balcony. Both me and Lucas snapped our heads to see who dared interrupt our escapade.

“Kano! Get the hell out!” I cried out, guessing now that Lucas would stop. I tried to move to cover myself, not that Kano hasn’t seen anything before, but out of respect that he was my baby brother. 

To my surprise Lucas didn’t even budge. He was holding me still, while glaring at Kano.

Kano glared right back. His fingers twitching.

“Are you going to get off my brother?” Kano challenged. His fingers now gripping a small dagger in plain sight. Lucas smirked before twisting his body to completely shield mine, and in doing so slid right in.

“Aaahhnn!~” I threw my head back at being penetrated. I thought being caught would make him go soft, but he got bigger! Lucas turned his head to address Kano out at the balcony. Kano was just as stunned as I was at Lucas’s bold move.

“Careful now, I don’t want you to hurt my Eirwen,” Lucas husked as he started moving his hips. Kano showed us the finger and climbed on the railing.

“You better be back for dinner tomorrow!” He screamed as he descended. Happy that Kano was out of the picture, Lucas moved us back to lay me firmly on the sofa, making sure I was perfectly pinned beneath him. His hips pistoned harshly into me, making me moan at every move. Once again his hand found purchase on my hips, holding me in place so he could penetrate me deeper. 

“Lucas! You...ahn! Ahn!” his other hand had gone straight for my jaw, keeping my mouth open as he french kissed me harshly. His hips jerked into me, the slaps making brutal staccato sounds with each thrust. Smirking, he retreated after making sure I was out of breath from our kiss, then licked along my jaw as I pleaded for him to go faster or release me. If someone were to walk in right now, it would probably look like I was being assaulted. And the thought of law abiding police officer Lucas having his way with me was slowly pushing me over the edge. 

“Hmm?” Lucas huffed out of breath, remembering that I was talking to him just now. Both of his hands bruised my hip as he thrusted harder and faster.

“You could have been...killed! NNGGH!!”

“Dying while I’m inside you..,” Lucas trailed off, pistoning harder and harder “is not a bad way to die,”

“You’re mmmnnh! You’re crazy!!” His hips lost all rhythm, stuttering in motion. 

“Me? Or you?”

“LUCAASSS!!!” I spilled all over our stomachs as he grunted his release into me. My head rolled to the side as I gasped for air, trying to calm myself down. He chuckled, unfazed and still composed after he just ejaculated inside. He lowered himself and twisted to gently roll me on top of him, my back against his front. I moved my tied hands above my head just to make some blood flow back. His penis slipped out in the process and I hissed at the sensation.

“You’re not even wearing a condom,” I accused. He hummed and pecked my nape a couple of times, I guess as an attempt at being romantic. And fuuuck, it’s working. His hands smoothed the bruise he inflicted from gripping my hips too tight. I’m a bit relieved I’m on top, because Lucas was quite heavy with muscles, and I needed all the oxygen I could get.

Why the fuck is he calmly breathing while I felt like I just ran a marathon??!

“I’m clean. And you’re clean too,” he stated.

“What?! How can you know that?!”

“Well, during that episode with Kit, I had some of your blood tested,”

“You stole my blood to test for STDs?” I asked, impressed. He claimed that I planned this since the beginning, but he was a planner too. But for an even sinister reason. “Was this your intention all along?”

“To have sex with you? Eventually. Actually, I assumed we would be consummating our relationship maybe in the next year or two, after I have properly courted you. But that was definitely before I met the real sexy you,”

“Sexy me?”

“The one in the woods, Eirwen,” Lucas whispered out, licking his lower lip. “After I saw you that day, I just knew I couldn’t let you go,” Lucas husked out, the hands on my hips suddenly becoming more sensual.

“I could just use you for sex and then disappear,” I teased him. 

“I won’t let you,” he assured me. His right hand on my hip moving back up to my chest and flicking my nipples into hardness. I was about to ask him to free me, but now it seemed like he wasn’t planning on letting me go for a while. 

“Lucas! What are you doing?!” I gasped after a vicious pinch to my left nub. 

“You think you can just leave me after this?” Lucas queried. His tone turned darker, no longer in an easy-going tone. His left hand trailed lower between my legs to stroke himself. The motions rubbed against my member, making me gain hardness too.

“Lucas, you’re driving me crazy…,” I pleaded. It spurred him to start moving his hips, humping against my backside.

“Good. You should be crazy. I was crazy about you while you were being held, Eirwen. Missing you. Wanting you,” 

“Ahn! Ahn!” I gasped out. My hands futilely tried to find purchase somewhere, but the position wasn’t making it easy. 

“Craving you...Eirwen,” Lucas growled out, guiding himself to breach into me again. 

“No! Ahn, wait please!” I managed to move my hands to try and stop him from entering me, but Lucas quickly stretched my body by arching into me. My hands barely reached past my crotch, but it was the perfect position for him to slip into me. 

“I’m not going to let you go, baby. You’re mine now,” he threatened. Lucas aggressively parted my legs so that I was split apart, making it easier for him to start thrusting. I started gasping as he hit my prostate dead on with every piston.

“That’s why I’m not going to use protection every time we do this. There will only be you for me,” the right hand parting my legs gripped my knee and hiked it up against my body. His left hand was now used for him to propel himself harder from below.

“I’m yours,” I panted out, my head turned to watch him from the corner of my eyes. He shifted a bit to kiss me while thrusting, making me moan into his mouth. He smiled at my admission.

“As there will only be me for you,” he breathed out, but not losing his composed state. 

“You feel so good,” he gushed. I let him jerked into me from beneath, agreeing to the fact that I was now his, and he could do what he wanted with me.

“Only you,” I agreed. He snapped his hips harder, determined to unravel me quickly this round. I didn’t know how long I lasted, but it wasn’t long. Halfway into it, he bit my shoulder to hold me still, both of his hands occupied.

After that, my brain shut down.

* * *

He used the gravity to make me ride him. I lost count of the time, or how many times he claimed me, but this one was slow, drawn out. His eyes were still looking at me lustfully, not losing the intensity one bit. Somehow, I could still carry on a conversation while impaling myself on him.

“So, where did you get my photos?” Lucas drawled lazily. One hand was holding my hips, making sure I followed his pace. One hand was consistently pinching my nipples. My hands were still tied behind my back, by the way. I could just release them but I won’t. 

“I don’t..” he suddenly pistoned his hips upwards to reprimand me, angry that I dared to question him.

“I saw your room, baby. Was this all just a plan to get me?” Lucas asked. 

“NO!” I protested. He sped up his hips, making me lose my mind. 

“Did you kill the girl?”

“Hhmmmhh!”

“Not going to answer? It’s okay. I’ll get what I want,” Lucas growled out, rising from his lying position to sit up. He shifted us until his back was against the sofa, resting his head at the edge of the seat. In this position he could use both hands to grip my waist.

“I’ll get what I want, Eirwen,”


	7. It's Kano, baby. Kano Aldrich

**1 week ago**

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_What is your relationship with Eirwen?_ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_What relationship?_ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_Well, you are trying to protect his files._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Personal reasons._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_You’re brothers aren't you?_ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_…_ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_You have the same eye shape._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_What do you want with Eirwin’s files?_ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_My friend is in love with him._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Lucas Halls is in love with Eirwen?_ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_Hmm._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_I see._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_Hey? Hey!!! Don’t blue tick me._ **

  
  


**_Yesterday_ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_I can see you..._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Stop contacting me._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Stop sending me memes._ **

**_Kimo_Kimoni texted:_ **

**_I still owe you for that illegal picture you took of me._ **

**_Hacker_san texted:_ **

**_Come and find me then._ **

* * *

Kimo stepped into the bar after he was sure Hacker-san’s phone pinged from the nearby tower. He had developed a more sophisticated programme to track down his hacker and tonight, he will confront him. Out of all the places his hacker could be, this bar with no security cameras and cash only policy would be his best bet.

“I’ll have a coke,” Kimo ordered. The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it as Kimo laid down a 50 dollar bill on the counter. That was his cue to put the coke and a glass of ice and get out of there. Kimo looked at his phone, and sure enough, Hacker-san was in the area. Did he pegged Hacker-san wrong? Could the man be down at the nice restaurant next door?

“Maybe I should have asked Lucas to help me,” Kimo grumbled, sighing. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” a deep voice asked. 

“You know Lucas is my...who are you?” Kimo asked as he spied a stranger beside him. Definitely wasn’t Hacker-san, though if Kimo was looking for a one night stand, he’d definitely try him out.

“Interested,” the man replied while eying Kimo up and down. He smiled, showing his perfect teeth. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kimo could see the man slipped something in his drink. 

Amateur.

“Well, how about you finish your drink and let’s get out of here?” the man suggested. Kimo scoffed and picked up his coke can instead of drinking from the glass.

“No thanks,” well, Kimo was half Japanese, so he had to uphold the image of his people. Being polite was in his blood. He stood up and went outside, trying to figure out where the next possible place Hacker-san could be. He finished his drink and chucked the empty can into the bin, in the alley next to the bar.You know, a compulsory alley where if something fucked up was going to happen, it’ll happen here. In this alley.

“I love it when they try and act smart,” the same man appeared behind him, already wearing gloves. Kimo could see the man clearer now, and his muscles were no joke. 

“You didn’t finish your drink,” the man chided.

“My drugged up drink?” Kimo chuckled. 

“That’s not the only thing I drugged,” the man smirked back. Kimo lost his smile and felt a wave of nausea hit him. He watched the coke can and held out his hand to steady himself, but was too far away from the wall. He stumbled a few steps to reach it.

“Now, what do you say to my invitation just now?” the man approached Kimo with malicious intent, about to grip the wavering Kimoni. Kimo tried to swipe the man’s hands away, but with no real force as his energy approached zero.

Out of the blue, another set or arms from behind the man reached out and grabbed Kimoni first. The man moved out of the way out from shock, turning his body away from both Kimo and the newcomer. Kimoni was given 5 seconds to recognize the man before slumping onto his shoulder.

“Hacker-san..,” Kimo passed out. Dion lifted him easily to hold Kimo bridal style. 

“Dion..,” the man said and disappeared out of the alley. Dion turned to get a better look, surprised that someone could recognise him. But the tone and build of the man, could only be one person. 

Eirwen is in trouble now.

* * *

Kendrich wiped his hands after washing them. He had just finished his report on the 3rd victim’s autopsy, not happy that the body lying on his table was so young. He’d only pretended to not be affected by all this death, but even the coldest of hearts would melt when faced with such a baby faced child. 

“Why does the world work like this?” Kendrich growled out. It’s not fair that these kids were targeted by some maniac. “If I find that guy I’ll make it so that there won’t be a body to do an autopsy on!” Kendrich exclaimed, throwing the hand towel into a nearby bin. 

“Sorry, what now? Kendrich are you okay?” someone asked from behind him. Kendrich looked at the mirror to see Chris with a package in his hands. 

“Chris!” Kendrich shouted as he turned and ran into the man’s arms. He might have friend-zoned this man, but he needed some comfort right now. Chris seemed to pick up on Kendrich’s initiation for physical closeness and hugged back. 

“You’re back”Kendrich said, voice heavy with sadness.

“Kendrich! What happened? I just flew in yesterday,” Chris said. Kendrich sobbed into his shoulder and just held the man close. 

“Do I need to hurt someone?” Chris asked aloud. Kendrich stopped sobbing when he heard the question then let out a real laugh. He hasn’t laughed this much since Chris took a holiday to settle a family issue. But now that Chris is back, they could be around each other again.

“You’re sweet Chris. If I was your boyfriend I’d be the happiest man alive,” Kendrich breathed out as he stopped his laughter. Chris dropped his smile to seriously look at Kendrich.

“I am your boyfriend,” Chris stated, making Kendrich pause. 

“Chris, you know I..,”

“You’re just scared to admit it. You’re attracted to me,” Chris insisted. Kendrich released Chris and backed away. 

“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that I’m interested,” Kendrich shot back. 

“Why, are you more interested in Brad next door? That guy’s coffee is red in colour,” 

“Hey, his coffee… yeah they’re shitty. But he’s cute!” Kendrich protested.

“As cute as Taylor I supposed. That intern you asked out last week,” Chris reported. Kendrich looked at his door to notice that it was locked. 

“You said you were away on family business! How did you know this?!” Chris began to feel palpitations in his chest. He should look for a weapon!

“I have my ways, Kendrich. I always keep tabs on my boyfriend,” Chris shrugged. He stopped his advance and sat down at Kendrich’s table. He motioned for Kendrich to do the same. Kendrich felt that this was the time to iron out what he really felt about Chris. Chris tossed a surgical blade to Kendrich knowing that Chris will feel a little bit safer when he had a weapon in his hand. 

“I want to talk,” Chris urged, lifting his hands in mock surrender.

“Chris, I don’t want to be in a relationship with you. Yes, at first I thought we could have something casual to pass my time. But you clearly intended to be in a serious one, which I don’t have time and emotional quota for right now. We are at this new case and it drains me like crazy! It’s just not fair to anyone if I can’t focus on my personal life because my professional life sucks!” Kendrich blurted out. That was one thing Chris found cute about the man. He tends to lay it all out on the line and makes his move based on the outcome. Whereas Chris would plan everything in advance and then terminate everything if it doesn’t work out.

“And you’re really handsome, like GOD I could lick you everywhere handsome, and talking about this kinda makes me regret friend-zoning you, shit! But Chris, please understand that no one should be burdened by the things I see everyday. I tried you know? But they all say that my mood throws them off. They hate it when I come back after a hard day at work. Sometimes I ramble when a victim has unusual bruises or cuts, and that too, turns my partners off!” Kendrich didn’t realize it, but his tears had started streaming down his cheeks.

This is why he couldn’t do relationships. They let him down, and he can’t escape from this vicious cycle. He cursed when he noticed that his cheeks were wet and closed it with his hands, sobbing when his emotions finally flowed down his cheeks. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry for hurting you Chris...but I can’t! I just can’t get hurt again..,” Kendrich trailed off, and looked up to see Chris, but the man had moved silently and was standing beside him, inches away. Surprised, Kendrich raised his hand with the blade to warn Chris away, for he knew, if Chris touched him, he would give in. He was weak to physical touch, a way that his partners exploited to get him to do what they wanted. Chris stopped just shy away from the blade.

“Kendrich, I won’t be turned off by your work. You can come home from a bad day and rant all you want,” Chris moved closer, the blade heading towards his neck. Kendrich pulled back a bit when he noticed what Chris was doing.

“Don’t touch me Chris! I’m not joking!”

“So am I! Those losers don’t know what they’re throwing away because what? They were disgusted when you came home upset? Angry? What kind of person bases a relationship on one bad day and discards the happy times? What ratio was that Kendrich? Happy days to sad ones?” Chris was once again near the blade. Kendrich hyperventilated when he took in Chris’s words.

“There weren't that many sad days…” Kendrich sobbed. 

“I’m not like that Kendrich. I have bad days too. Will you turn me away if I come back upset?” Chris coaxed. Kendrich won’t. He had always been understanding when his partners come home after a terrible day. When you deal with people who can no longer show feelings at work, any emotions he gets at home just makes him happy to be alive. 

“I won’t..,” he helplessly cries, but his grip on the blade was still strong.

“You won’t, baby,” Chris agreed, blade already reaching his skin. Kendrich tried to pull it back, but Chris grabbed his hand to steady it. 

“Chris!”

“I won’t be turned off by your emotions Kendrich. Happy? Sad? Excited at seeing an unusual body? I’m excited for you too. You finding enjoyment at something that is so dark and gruesome is just you making the most of a sombre predicament,” 

“Don’t say what you don’t mean,” Kendrich warned.

“I mean it when I say, you geeking out over a mysterious cause of death is adorable, and you unravelling small details that only you and the killer knows, like that ice pick..You almost caught me, Kendrich. That...was downright seductive,” Chris, or should he say, Kano husked out. That snapped Kendrich back to reality fast, and he lost his grip on the blade, the weapon falling to the floor. 

“What?! What do you mean?!” Kendrich stuttered out. Kano smirked and used Kendrich’s hand to pull him flush against his body, Kendrich’s back to his chest. From this position Kendrich could feel Kano’s hard on, so he stretched his back to dislodge the man. But all it did was push their hips flush against each other. Kendrich gasped when Kano pressed into him harder. His hand holding onto the table in a death grip.

“You said that you just wanted to talk?!”

“Should I stop, Kendrich? I won’t force you,” Kano mused. Kendrich shook his head, turning his head to look over his shoulder at Kano. But all he succeeded in doing was pushing their lips together when Kano also seeked him out. The hand that had been holding Kendrich’s hand grabbed Kendrich’s lower jaw, holding it in place as Kano plundered his mouth. Their messy kiss made Kendrich light headed, his air supply running low. He re-focused his stare and realized that the hand that had been holding his jaw was actually gloved, and it was dipped in chloroform.

“Chris! Why..?”Kendrich lost his balance but was cradled by Kano’s hold. He sagged back gently onto the table and watched as Kano threw the glove away, into a plastic bag. 

“Is this becauuu...se of-f-f the ..ice pick?” Kendrich slurred.

“Oh no, baby. But it definitely began from there,” Kano replied. He was just grazing his thumb on Kendrich’s lower lip, snarling in lust as Kendrich unconsciously licked them in his daze towards losing his grip on reality.

“Chriss...isn’t your naaamee..?” Kendrich slipped off into a deep sleep. 

“It’s Kano, baby. Kano Aldrich,”


	8. Why is Ikea furniture so sturdy?

“So, are you just going to chain me to this chair forever?” I argued. After slipping off into a deep sleep from the mindblowing rounds of sex, I woke up sometime the next day, lunchtime. From there, Lucas had fed me, while my hands were in his actual police handcuffs, and cleaned me up.

The apartment was cleaned professionally, all of my stuff was packed in boxes, and one opened box was on the coffee table, full of Lucas’s pictures. I would have been embarrassed at being caught stalking Lucas if I hadn’t confessed to having pictures while riding said man yesterday. Lucas had freed me from the handcuffs to slip me into a shirt and pants, then proceeded to lock me to the POANG. Fucking IKEA furniture, why do they have to be so sturdy?! 

Lucas had left for a few hours but not before leaving water and some snacks on the nearby table to make sure I won’t die out. Which was ridiculous, I could still move around the house, the POANG wasn’t that heavy. I just couldn’t get out. So when Lucas came back, I was still on the effing POANG, waiting for him.

“Hmmm, I told you yesterday I will get what I want. So, let me start first,” Lucas sat down, kneeling in front of me. He kissed my knee to show that he meant me no harm. 

“You’re not a crime thriller writer. You work for someone high up. The proof is the fact that my dark web friend Kimoni couldn’t find any digital trace from you. You killed the girl, but you won’t confess to it because you know I will have to bring you in. This is because you believe that my sense of justice will definitely outweigh whatever reason you had for killing her,”

“Then don’t ask questions you know the answers to,” I bit out, angry that someone could read me so well. Something that even my family sometimes have trouble with. 

“Oh. I’m doing this to get you heated up,” Lucas supplied, sitting down more comfortably on the floor. He kissed just above my knee, loving the change in my breath.

“Since we are at an impasse, let me continue. You killed Nathan because you heard he was going to move Kit away so I can’t press charges. You said it was self defense, but it really wasn’t. You are doing this because you want to prove to me that the law is flawed. And it is true in this case where you got away scott free for killing a man,” Lucas ended his talk. He placed his chin on my thigh, and looked up from beneath his lashes. “You probably had this planned since the first time we met, judging by the amount of pictures you had of me,” he added.

I smirked in response. 

“My question is..why? Why go through all this?” Lucas finally asked. 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Why me Eirwen?”

“Because you believed in something that could never be perfect. You dedicate yourself to an entity that won’t appreciate you back,” 

“You appreciate me better, don’t you love?” Lucas coaxed in a honeyed voice. 

“Don’t patronize me fucker,” I hissed. 

“I’m not. I thought about this, Eirwen. Would my conscience be okay knowing you killed before? It won’t,” Lucas stated. I tensed when Lucas stood up, feeling sad at the loss of warmth.

“Leaving?”

“I told you, you’re mine,” he assured me. “I want to go to that dinner of yours,”

“What?” This was NOT happening. He can not meet my retarded family.

“Dinner, that your brother Kano said you have today. Before he jumped from the 4th floor. I want to go. I still have so many questions, Eirwen. I want to know what your real job is and I have a feeling I’ll get it there,” Lucas released me and placed a semi formal outfit in my hands. 

“We’re wearing matching outfits,” I deadpanned. Dark maroon jacket, black fitting dress shirt and maroon skinny jeans. Exactly what he was wearing.

“Did you buy this for me?” I complained as I slipped on the shirt and jeans. “These jeans are too tight,”

“No it’s not,” Lucas replied, serious. I would have believed him if his eyes weren’t glued to my ass.

* * *

“Your jeans are too tight,” Dion commented as we sat at the dinner table.

“I told him it was, but he insisted,” I told him. Lucas was seated beside me, and I sat next to the head of the table, where Grandpapa would sit. We’re at the right side of the table, across from Dion and Kano. 

“Of course he would, he owns that ass,” Kano remarked and sat down 2 seats away from Dion. Odd, there were 2 more seats prepared.

“Are we expecting more guests?” I asked. Lucas was just staring at both Dion and Kano, taking in their mannerism. 

“Well, there’s the reason for this dinner, who’s going to join us as soon as he wakes up,” Kano chirped. Dion tensed and watched Kano from the corner of his eyes.

“Kano, don’t tell me you kidnapped him?” Dion asked. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Err...isn’t that illegal?” Lucas asked, hesitant. I placed my hand on his knee under the table to placate him.

“Well, it depends if he will press charges when he wakes up,” Kano pondered, making a cheeky face. “What about you, Dion? Who’s that for?” Kano showed the spot next to Dion.

“The result of Eirwen’s fuck up,” Dion commented. Lucas took a sharp breath in. 

“What do you mean?” Lucas growled out, turning cold eyes at Dion. Dion met his stare dead on.

“Eirwen’s interest in you had been nothing but trouble. And now I have to get involved,” Dion retorted. “Or are you going to take care of it?”

“I will when you tell us what you mean,” Lucas bit out. Dion spied something behind us and stood up.

“I will when all the guests arrive,” 

“Lucas??!” Kimo shouted as he reached to turn Lucas’s chair. He must really be surprised if he could turn the $5,000 dollar 4 kg chair with ease. I could barely stand up to push it back when I’m done eating.

“Kimo! Wait, were you the one kidnapped??!” Lucas shouted. 

“No, Hacker-san saved me...who are they?” Kimo or whatever shoved two fingers towards me and Kano. “Isn’t that Chris?” 

Huh, he did look like Chris, but with a better hairstyle. 

“Hacker-san?!” Kano or Chris snickered. Dion’s eye’s ticked at being called that. Before I could answer, another voice screamed.

“Lucas?!!KIMO??? SEXY RANDOM CITIZEN?!!” Kendrich exclaimed.

“Did you just call my brother sexy?” Kano growled. Dion put up his hands in surrender, not sure what was happening.

“Chris! Or whoever you are! What’s happening??!! Why are they here??! Who are these people??!!” Kendrich shouted in hysterics. A hand clamped onto his shoulder from behind and he shouted in fright.

“Why don’t we all sit down and we can explain ALL of it,” Grandpapa chirped from his spot next to Kendrich.

Lucas jerked back when he recognized Grandpapa’s face.

“Thaddeus Aldrich?!”


	9. Where it all began

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: family history, stupid brothers

“So, let me get this straight. This gentleman is here because Eirwen’s ex decided that Kimo was close to Lucas so that he could use Kimo as bait,” Grandpapa began his speech. I could tell Lucas was about to comment on the ex- thing but I shush him.

“Dion saved Kimo from said ex and brought him here. To berate Eirwen,”

“That is correct,” Dion agreed.

“Lucas is here because he wants to know what Eirwen’s real job is,”

“Yes?” Lucas gulped. This is the first time I saw him shook. He must have felt my Grandpapa’s presence. The man was intimidating when he wanted to be. His persona as Thaddeus Aldrich attorney is a kitten compared to his serious tone now. 

“And this cutie is here because...Kano wants to marry his boyfriend?” 

“YES!”

“WAIT! We’re not boyfriends!” Kendrich protested. “I just knew his real name is Kano, not Chris and..and..,”

“Oh, shush baby. You know you love me,” Kano cooed. The way he’s around Kendrich makes me want to gag. I pity the poor doctor.

“You should let him go, Kano,” I tsked.

“Shut your god damn mouth, whore! We’re in love and getting married soon!” Kano shot back. See? He treats us like shit and Kendrich like THE SHIT. I hissed as Dion looked at me like I deserved it. 

“But..but..,” Kendrich trailed off. 

“Perhaps we can start with Grandpapa explaining what is it that the Aldrichs actually do, then I will continue with how Kimo is involved in all of this, and how it concerns all of you,” Dion offered. Grandpapa seemed to contemplate his choices and conceded.

“Okay..it’s gonna be a long ass narrative,” 

“So, 7 generations ago, there was a family that was particularly good at solving...problems. Let’s put it at that. They were so good that governing bodies would often engage in their services to settle...disputes and such,” Grandpapa started off. 

“That doesn’t explain anything,” Kendrich whined.

“You guys are contract killers?” Kimoni asked, straight off the bat. 

“KIMO!” Lucas berated. Grandpapa put up his hand to stop Lucas.

“You could say that,” Grandpapa agreed. Lucas sank down and looked at me. Everything seemed to connect into place for him then. But I’m sure he has more questions than answers. 

“But it’s not that simple, over time, we got bored of being someone’s lap dog, so we wanted out of this business. But you see, when you have a method that works so well, you tend to not let it get away. And that is what happened to us. They kept us at it. But we also have conditions of our own. The initial family that started this was born with 3 children, so the first condition that the governing bodies have was that they would always be named according to the elements. This was just their way of recognising the family. We agreed, so everyone from this line from that moment on has 3 children,”

‘’The odds of having 3 kids every time you reproduce over 7 generations is preposterous! Or wait...you guys won’t kill...if there were more?” Kendrich gasped.

“It rarely comes to that, but I can’t say for others. Let me get back to the story. So the initial family split into 3, and each child went off to a different continent and each descendant created their own branch. One here, one in SouthEast Asia and one in Africa,”

“Our line was spearheaded by  Jörd Aldrich, her brother in SouthEast Asia was Ymir and the one in Africa was named Njǫrd. So each of them had 3 children of their own. So remember that we also have our conditions. Our ancestors negotiated that only one of their children be made contract killers, and the other two spared. The one chosen will keep the family name, and the other two can change theirs,”

“So you are the chosen one from your siblings? Where are they?” Lucas asked Grandpapa. 

“They don’t keep in touch. That is our way of showing them we love them,” 

Lucas gripped the table cloth tight. When he came to this dinner, this wasn’t what he thought would happen. Best case scenario was a family of high ranking CIA agents or secret service, but fuck! A martyr family who had to kill because they wanted to spare their loved ones from the same fate wasn’t what he expected. Heck, even a family of serial killers or casual murderers is better than this!

“You mean, one day, one of these guys will have to...continue?” Kendrich asked, suddenly feeling sad for Kano. Kimo was just seeing them and absorbing everything in.

“Hmm,” Dion confirmed. Seeing that his grandfather was done, he nodded towards him to continue on. 

“What does this have anything to do with Kimoni Fraser being here? Well, 3 months ago, Kimoni tried to access files for Eirwen due to the request of his friend, Lucas. It was to my understanding that Lucas had taken an interest in Eirwen after he suspected my brother was involved with the killing of the girl,” Dion said, sipping his water.

“Wait, was that girl...?” Lucas asked.

“A sanctioned killing? Yes,” Dion stated, then continued with his story. “Now, Kimoni here managed to track my programme and hacked into my phone, getting a picture,”

“Damn~ he hacked you?! Weak,” Kano booed his brother.

“Shut it Kano, your password is still password,” Eirwen shot back. Lucas, Kimoni and Kendrich snickered.

“Don’t expose me in front of my husband!”

“5 seconds ago it was boyfriend, now husband?” Kimoni commented. “How express,”

“Don’t make decisions by yourself!!” Kendrich scolded Kano. Dion coughed, getting their attention again. Once everyone was settled down, he continued. 

“So Kimoni tracked me down at a bar, where he was attacked by an unknown assailant, and I saved his derriere. Why did I say Eirwen is the root of all this? That’s because the assailant targeted Kimo to target Lucas, to target Eirwen,”

“ Because the assailant wants Eirwen’s ass, but Eirwen’s ass belongs to Lucas,” Kano hummed.

“WHAT??! LUCAS!” Kendrich screamed, surprised. Even Kimo raised both eyebrows, before giving his thumbs up.

“Wait, it means you know who this guy is! Lucas exclaimed. “The guy who attacked Kimo?”

“Yes, and he’s a dear ex of Eirwen’s..,”

“There wasn’t any relationship, we are not a couple! Don’t keep saying ex!” I protested. 

“Yes Dion, don’t forget Eirwen is a relationship virgin,” Kano chided his eldest brother. 

“Back to the issue! It’s not...him, is it?” I mumbled. Lucas turned a jealous eye to look at me. He’s probably thinking who this ‘he’ was.

“It’s your ex partner, Winter Phrajaothaad,” Dion confirmed. I took a sharp breath upon hearing that name again.

“Phrajaothaad?” Kimoni chirped. “That sounds Thai,”

“It is. The Phrajaothaads are the descendents from Ymir. Our SouthEast Asia branch,” Kano muttered. Getting serious.

“When you say ex partner...it doesn’t mean...sexu..,” Lucas asked, hesitant. Kano took pity on the guy and answered on my behalf.

“Cool it guy. Your bride here hasn’t slept with anyone before you. Winter was his WORKING partner when they had a big mission back in Thailand,” Kano tsked.

“Ohh,” Lucas sighed. I elbowed his gut for the obvious relief. 

“But you said it connects us all together..what does this have to do with me?” Kendrich further asked. 

“Well, you are connected to this in 3 ways. One, you’re Lucas’s friends, so the possibility of using you to get to Lucas to get to Eirwen is highly likely. Though I suspect if Winter were to target you, it is because Kano was a dumbass that can’t keep it in his pants, and Winter hates Kano more than he loves Eirwen...but that story will have to be told by Kano as to why. The less likely reason number 3 is...he might target you because of the case you are working on,” Grandpapa concluded. 

“What case? The children serial killer case?” Kimoni asked. 

“Hmm, Winter is killing children to announce to Eirwen that he is back,”


	10. I'll make you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: cussing, a sex scene, flashbacks

Grandpapa said it was safer for them to stay there until they could catch Winter. So, they all took leave of absence. Lucas was adamant that he returned to work to do it, but Dion had said his best bet was to stay close to the targets; me and Kano.

Grandpapa met with each of them separately, to talk about us. 

We could never guess what that old geezer would say about us, so Kano and I were worried that he would chase Kendrich and Lucas away. And I wasn’t sure what Kimo and Dion was, but apparently Grandpapa wanted to see him too. Dion looked like he wanted to protest, a first since he was the most obedient out of all of us. 

He met with Kendrich first.

* * *

_ “So, Kendrich...about Kano,” _

_ “I accept!” Kendrich gushed, while holding his blazing cheeks in his palms. He was smiling widely and watching Grandpapa with starry eyes. “I thought about it and I want to marry Kano,” _

_ “Excuse me?” _

_ “I’ll marry him!” Kendrich confirmed. Grandpapa looked at Kendrich for a second before laughing.  _

_ “Hahahaha!!! Okay,” _

_ “Okay?” Kendrich asked, happy. _

_ “Okay, go and get married,” Grandpapa smiled and nodded his head. _

* * *

That talk lasted about 5 minutes, before Kendrich came out, squealing, and kissed the living daylights out of Kano. Kano wasted no time in picking up Kendrich bridal style and heading towards the west wing, where me and Dion will probably NOT go for the rest of the night.

And the WHOLE day tomorrow.

After that, Kimoni Fraser entered the study. They talked for about 30 minutes before Kimoni stalked out of there, looking determined. Dion showed Kimoni where he could rest for the night. Dion was indifferent, but I guess it will all change after all of this was over.

Now, it had been about 43 minutes since Lucas went inside. The exchange wasn’t heated, or so what I could tell, so deciding to just head back for some sleep, I left the study and went to my bedroom.

Kimoni and Dion were arguing in Dion’s room as I passed them by in the middle wing, so I trekked further to the East wing, where my place was. Changing into my pyjamas, I was thinking about what they could be talking about, then drifted off to sleep. 

Sometime in the middle of the night, the bed dipped and I was awakened from Lucas hugging me around my midsection. He too had changed but was slightly colder, suggesting that he had gone outside for quite some time.

“Lucas, you don’t have to be with me,” I began our conversation. Lucas chuckled and kissed my left shoulder. 

“I want to be with you,”

“This is the exact opposite of what you believed in,”

“I know,”

“We are not bound by the law, Lucas. We kill when a threat appears and we don’t ask questions,” I confessed. “I admit that I wanted you to..be more like me in the beginning. That was why I approached you,”

Lucas kept quiet, just listening to my words.

“I thought back then..if only he would be as loyal to me, as he was to the truth,” I stated. “I was attracted immediately. And then you suspected me since the beginning for that girl. No one came close to even noticing me all this while,”

“Because you were so good at it,” Lucas spoke up. He hugged me tighter.

“Then Kit happened. I felt that you would immediately turned me in. But you didn’t. You wanted the law to deal with me, like you believed it should,” I continued to tell him.

“And the law found you not guilty,”

“Is the law still right, Lucas? When you know the truth,” 

“I cannot change the law, Eirwen. If it finds you innocent, then you are innocent,” I turned in his embrace, getting anxious.”And it can’t change the way I feel about us,”

“You want there to be an us? After what you heard at dinner?! After knowing the truth about me?” I whispered heatedly. Lucas smiled and kissed me deeply. I reciprocated his kiss by allowing him entry into my mouth. He pulled back and placed errant hair behind my ears.

“Eirwen, I will never stain my hands to take away another life. For whatever reason. I’m not strong enough to do that. Truthfully, I find it hard to accept that part of you. But I will forget your past and give us a try,”

“Really?” I asked, elated that he wanted to give us a try. I can work with him, not willing to kill, just for him to see that sometimes we have to do what he has to do for the greater good.

“In exchange, I want you to choose your jobs from now on. You can only accept missions if the target deserves it, and the law can’t punish them,”

“Why don’t you just ask me to be straight,” I muttered. I separated myself from him. “That’s not how this works, Lucas. We can’t choose,”

“There is always a choice. You chose me, didn’t you?”

“I enjoy it, Lucas. The kills. I don’t ask questions because I like being neutral,” I replied. “Not knowing makes me innocent,” 

Lucas squinted his eyes in irritation before attacking me. He climbed on top of me to pin my hands beside my head. Silently asking if I would stay put, he squeezed my hands. And I squeezed back, saying that I won’t budge.

He went straight for my buttons, hastily opening them to free some skin for his view. The last few buttons popped open with just one hand, another hand parting my legs and hiking the right one onto his shoulders. Doing so allowed him to slip between my thighs, pressing his hips flushed against mine. 

Grinding slowly into me, he swallowed my moans with his mouth. I tried to pull him closer, hands inching towards him.

“Don’t move, Eirwen Aldrich. I want to make this clear. You will agree to my wishes,” he slipped my pyjama bottoms off, pushing his out of the way too.

“And you will learn to just accept me as I am!” I barked back. Grunting as he dipped his hands onto some lube. When did that appear?

“Oh, but you have already changed, baby,” he threw the lube across the room and gripped both of my legs by my ankles. “You just haven't realized it yet,” 

I whimpered as he entered me slowly, hand gripping my ankles in a tight grip. Seeing that I was okay after he was fully in me, he slowly thrusted his hips, our love making slow and sensual.

“Ahhnn~ ahn!” 

“So..this Winter...should I be worried?” Lucas huffed out as he kissed my left ankle. I opened my eyes to look at him, having them closed to enjoy the moment. I smirked at his blatant jealousy, but chose not to play the game.

“We had a uuuhhn! Mission, together. He took aaaaa~ yes! Liking to me. Lucas! Please! Ah! I have no feelings..fuck!” I breathed out my answer as he increased speed and power.

“He’s very determined if he’s staging a serial killing just to attract your attention,” Lucas growled. He suddenly released both of my ankles and flipped me on my stomach. Not giving me time to adjust, he picked up my hips and re-entered me from behind, one hand immediately pinning my shoulders. I could feel his anger from the way that he was pistoning into me.

  
“I hate it that he kills innocent children as a token of affection..hmmh! But I guess, shit! Ahh! In your line of work it..Eirwen! Don’t clench! This line of work , it would be considered flattering?” Lucas asked in between thrusts. I could only whine as his hips slapped lewdly against mine.

“Lucas...Lucas!” He’s driving me crazy! He dropped low to encompass me completely under him. His teeth found purchase on the fleshy part of my shoulder. He seems to find pleasure in marking me, something that I too, find arousing. Nearing his peak, he licked my ear and bit the earlobe gently.

“I hope you’re not flattered, love. Because I might just have to break my oath,” Lucas growled and freezed as he released in me.“..and kill a bitch,”

And that pushed me to the edge.

* * *

_ “I’m sure you have many questions, Lucas. And you have to find answers to some of them in time,” Grandpapa said as Lucas shut the door. _

_ “My biggest concern is the kills. Did they all deserve it?” _ _   
  
_

_ “That is something only God can answer. What I feel is deserving differs to what my grandson feels,” Thaddeus deflected. “But I can tell you that, to these individuals, the law can not touch them,” _

_ “Then, can they choose who to kill?” Lucas asked another one. Grandpapa smirked and sat down. _

_ “This is a dangerous path. You either accept it or you don’t,” _

_ “You mean stay with him or leave,” _

_ “No one that stays with the Aldrichs keeps their hands clean forever,” Grandpapa said. “And when they try to persuade us to change, they only grow resentment along the way,” _

_ “I’m not leaving him. You can’t make me,” Lucas remarked. “And I’ll never dirty my hands to take a life away,” _

_ “So you say,” Grandpapa stated. _

* * *

“So, are we having sex or not?” Kimoni asked as he stripped himself. Dion panicked and took out his gun.

“W-w-what??! Put your clothes back on! You pervert! Deviant!”

“Well, your brother Kano is having wild sex with Kendrich, I could hear them from downstairs. And as soon as Lucas was done with your Grandpapa, he’ll probably head over to Eirwen’s and have sex too. So why not us?” Kimo urged.

“I don’t find joy in physical intercourse,” Dion insisted, hand steadying. Kimo approached him boldly, stopping when the gun touched his chest. His naked chest.

“It’s tiring and messy,” Dion insisted.

“Sex is tiring and messy? Well, just lay there and let me do the work. Then I’ll clean you up,”

“You’re exasperating. Good night,” Dion scoffed and stalked to his room. The nerve of that, that peasant! He thinks he can demand sex from Dion.

He was about to pull open the door when Kimo closed it back with a loud thump. He swatted the gun easily from Dion and grabbed the same hand to pull Dion close. 

“You already saw me naked, the least you could do is give me a good night kiss,” Kimo closed the distance between them.

“Kiss me and you will be a eunuch,” Dion warned. Kimo looked down to see a small blade aimed at his crotch. Kimo let Dion go immediately, backing up.

“Good night,” Dion wished Kimo again.

“You’re not interested at all?” Kimo tried his luck.

“Detective Lucas is better looking,” Dion huffed then left. Kimo smirked and laid back on the bed.

“But your eyes don’t dilate when you see Lucas,”

* * *

_ “ _ _ So that’s how I was able to get his photo and tracked him down,” after 15 minutes of explanations, Grandpapa Thaddeus was amused at Kimo’s briefing. _

_ “You’re very good Kimo. Your skill will definitely be an asset in this line of business,” Thaddeus hummed. _

_ “But it won’t?” _

_ “Why would you say that?” Thaddeus asked. _

_ “I assume that’s why you brought me in here. To keep me away from Dion,” _

_ “That’s up to him,” _

_ “So I’m free to pursue him?” _

_ “If you can handle his...asexuality,” _

_ “What?” Kimo was surprised when Thaddeus told him this.  _

_ “Dion. He has no sexual desires. Sure you can handle that...Mr dark web porn?” _

_ “How the fuck do you know this?!!” Kimo shout-whispered.  _

_ “You may be good, Kimo. But we also have a hacker,” Thaddeus smiled back. So Dion hacked him? Bejesus! _

_ “Asexual? Give me a break,” Kimo laughed “I’ll make him want me,” Kimo swore and went outside. _

* * *

“I’ll make you want me,” Kimo swore and slept.


	11. Kimo makes a move

“Kendrich, what is that?” Kimo asked when he entered the main hall the next day. Kendrich was sprawled out on the carpet, a book occupying his attention. The brothers were nowhere to be seen. 

“I’m writing in my journal about Kano’s family. I want to have something to talk to my kids about during Christmas,” Kendrich hummed, digging for an orange pen.

“You’re cataloguing their family? How did you get this information? And can you even do that?” Kimo asked as he eyed the family tree. “Wait, kids?”

“Let him, Kimo. He’s marrying into the family, so it will be nice for him to know about the Aldrichs. I told him about ours and Kano told him about the Phrajaothaads, so he found it amusing to just have it mapped out,” Grandpapa was near the fireplace sharpening a katana. That image should have traumatised Kimo but he found it soothing instead.

Who wouldn’t relax at a 65 years old senior citizen who was meticulously sharpening a long ass sword while listening to Naruto OST on his phone? 

“And it’s better for it to be in a physical copy as opposed to a digital one, so we can only have one that isn’t easily hacked,”

Feeling satisfied that Thaddeus has given Kendrich the go, Kimo studied the family tree. “Just yesterday you said you’re not in a relationship, now you’re thinking of having kids with the guy?”

“He’s the one!” Kendrich insisted. “He promised me he would do anything for me,” Kendrich sighed.

“I don’t doubt that. Hmmm, the Phrajaothaad succession line only comes from their second born,” Kimo observed.

“Yes, in our family the second born is normally the strongest, in terms of strength and skill. The eldest is born with diplomatic inclinations. The youngest is a wild card. Very rare the youngest will succeed,” Thaddeus commented. 

“But it’s not true for this family. The youngest has succeeded twice, once during the 3rd generation and the other time was your son...Adrian,”

“That’s because luck prefers Adrian that way. Or unluck. Our tradition was to toss a coin and see who loses. But out of the 9 grandchildren that I have, Adrian’s are the most gifted. So when I brought it up with him after he lost the coin toss, he agreed to succeed, if only his nieces and nephews were spared,” Grandpapa mused. 

“Hmm, I don’t mind if Kano were to succeed,” Kendrich suddenly joined the conversation.

“We’ll have 2 girls and 1 boy. Kano said that Winter’s family was like that, and they are really ruthless. I bet a female contract killer is really badass huh?”

Kimo and Grandpapa were stunned when they heard that Kendrich was already considering having 3 children to let Kano succeed. Only yesterday he was adamant that Kano and him weren’t in a relationship, but now...wooow. Kimo needed to find out what Kano said to persuade Kendrich, so he can use it to persuade Dion.

“Kendrich, do you know what you’re saying?” Kimo asked, just to be sure.

“Yup,” 

“Kano is killing people for a living. Your children will kill for a living until one decides they want to do it for the rest of their life,” Lucas cut in from the doorway. “Will you be okay with that?”

“I thought about it. We both work in an environment that deals with death, so we can both comfort each other after a bad day. Yes, he kills people, but only to stop something far worse from happening,” Kendrich mumbled while drawing more lines.

“If one of his kills comes to you, and it points to him, will you save him?” Lucas asked, eyes cold. 

“You mean will I manipulate evidence to save Kano from being suspected?” Kendrich re-word Lucas’s question. The silence says it all.

“Kendrich, I’ve known you for a long time, but I won’t tolerate..,” Lucas trailed off. Kendrich put up his hand, stopping his friend from continuing.

“You won’t have to worry about that,” Lucas seemed to be happy with that answer, and joined Kendrich in completing his record of the Aldrich family. Kimo noticed something from the family tree and finally understood why Dion was reluctant about him.

* * *

“I think your lover boy knows why you don’t want to be with him,” Kano said while he listened in on their conversation. They were actually in the mansion, discussing their current affairs. Dion was trying to track down Winter, but had no luck so far. I was trying to recall anything I could that would help finding Winter. 

Kano was planning his wedding.

Dion pursed his lips when Kano mentioned about Kimoni. That man was too smart for his own good. 

“Why deny the attraction?” I asked. Dion looked at me with an exasperated look.

“You know why,”

“No, I don’t. It doesn’t have to turn out that way, you know,” I replied.

“It has always been that way,” Dion insisted. “I will have to succeed the family,”

“I can do it, Dion. Kendrich doesn’t mind,” Kano insisted. “Then we can start looking up for kids to adopt,”

“It’s not about what we can, or want. It’s about fate,” Dion remarked. “It’s about being fair. The coin toss will choose me,”

“You don’t know that,” I said. Dion didn’t bother to reply. Ever since father was chosen by the coin toss, he seemed to accept his fate in being the successor. 

“And besides, I’m asexual. I have no desire to copulate. It will be hard on him. He watches porn occasionally, so I know he wants it,” Dion stated. Occasionally was not the word Dion would use, but compared to his brothers, Kimo was mild. 

“You pulled out his internet history? Harsh,” Kano whistled. “I don’t know how you guys will keep secrets if both of you are so fluent in technology,”

“There just won’t be any secrets,” I said. “They just have to be truthful to each other in their relationship,”

“There is no relationship,” Dion remarked. I shut the audio recorder silently and smirked.

Not if I can help it. 

* * *

“How did you find me?” Dion snarled from his place. Kano and Eirwen had both disappeared, and he suspected Eirwen had shown Kimo where he was to meddle.

“Eirwen showed me. I’m here to help you track Winter,” Kimo said as he plugged a USB into the computer.

“What is this?”

“It’s the app I used to triangulate your position that night,” Kimo said as he cracked his fingers and typed a bunch of commands.

“It’s not going to work. You don’t have his phone number,”

“That’s why I’m reprogramming it to track people who tracked me,” Kimo smirked. Dion felt his breath hitch when watching the man work. Kimoni Fraser was not sexually attractive, nor is he visually enticing, but his intellect was what Dion could not ignore. Since the moment he managed to get a stolen picture of Dion, he was intrigued. Kimo’s straightforward ideals also attracted him a great deal. 

“I know why you don’t want to have a relationship with me, or a relationship at all,” Kimoni said, serious. Dion snapped his gaze forward, not wanting to listen.

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Dion stated. 

“I know a pattern when I see one. Hacker, remember? I saw it when Kendrich was drawing the succession line for your family,” Kimo said and brought up the picture to show Dion. He tensed and averted his eyes away.

Fuck him and his intelligence.

“It starts with the 2nd child, then last, then first. Then it starts again, the same cycle. Your grandfather, second child,” Kimo showed and trailed his finger along with his narrative.

“Your father, last,” Dion clenched his hand and stopped typing. The app was running in the background, closing in on Winter’s location.

“The next one would be you, the first child,” Kimo husked out, outright staring at Dion. 

Dion took 30 seconds to breathe and calmed himself. He didn’t think Kimo would figure it out so quickly when he saw the tree line, but he now knew to never underestimate this man again. When he was ready, he looked at Kimoni head-on. 

“I don’t want to be with you,” Dion stated, firm. That pushed Kimo off the edge. He grabbed Dion and kissed him forcefully, prying open his lips with his tongue. Momentarily stunned, Dion aimed a jab at Kimo’s stomach but was blocked when Kimo anticipated it and parried it with his right hand.

The momentum threw Dion off, and he flailed as his hands were sent off in a direction that was easy for Kimo to grab both of his hands and subdue him. Using his weight, Kimo swept the back of Dion’s knee to bring them both crashing down to the floor. 

“Kimo! If you hurt my brother!” Kano shouted from outside the door. Kimo half registered the commotion outside the door, but he could not be distracted from his task. 

“It’s okay children, let’s leave them to have their talk,” Thaddeus chuckled.

“Talk?! Kimo is pinning Dion on the floor..he’s binding Dion’s hand!”Eirwen shot back. 

“Oh, it’s just foreplay,” 

“It's not...Grandpapa! Don’t lock the door!” After some shuffling, it seemed that Thaddeus was able to shoo the other grandsons away. At this time, Dion was slowly losing his energy due to his oxygen being sucked dry by Kimo.

Releasing Dion for a while, the man gasped and sucked in lungfuls of air. Kimo took this time to bring out a cable tie. Binding Dion successfully, Kimo then grabbed Dion’s hair and forced the man to glare up at him. Kimo smirked in return.

“You, peasant! How dare you! Release me!” Dion struggled. Kimo just hummed and skimmed his palm on Dion’s crotch. After a couple of strokes, there was no response, confirming what Thaddeus said.

His first grandson was asexual.

“I don’t feel anything! Are you happy now?! Touch me all you want, and you can have sex with me. But the only one who will be satisfied is you,” Dion stopped struggling. He had never been in this situation before, being the victim. But he had faced worse.

“I can’t give you what you want,” Dion stated, defeated. “I will succeed the family, and give my brothers a chance at living their own lives,” 

Hearing that, Kimo wasted no time in stripping himself. Dion started feeling restless as Kimo threw away his briefs, taking out lube and condoms. When Kimo was about to start with his clothes, he panicked.

“Stop! What is the point in all this??! I told you I don’t feel anything!” Dion tried to twist away from Kimo’s prying hands.

“Kimo!!”

“Ai shiteru!” Kimo blurted out. Dion hissed as the words registered in his brain. He stopped struggling to look at Kimo, the man crying silent tears.

“I must be crazy! I thought, I can’t believe this guy managed to hack me. But then this happened, and your grandfather warned me about your asexuality. I knew Dion! I knew when I proposed to you for sex last night,” Kimo wiped his tears. 

“When my programme said you hacked into my internet logs, I knew you would have seen the pornographic materials I’ve been seeing. Yes, I enjoy sex Dion, I’m not stupid enough to lie to you about it,” Kimo stated, voice watery.

“But still, I love you,” Kimo admitted. “From the first time I saw you, and then the texts. Your intelligence, your aloofness, your love for your family. Your crazy need to be a fucking martyr!”

“Then, you know it will only be negative for you. Your life will be in constant danger.. I can’t give you anything Kimo. I can’t give you a family. I can’t…,” Dion hyperventilated as Kimo forced him to come into terms of his reality. He never wanted to be stuck in this situation. But if the choices were to sacrifice his love life or to sacrifice his brothers, he knew what he would choose. 

And he suspected that Kimo knew too.

“I can’t give you love,”

“That’s what I love about you Dion. In all honesty, I didn’t think I was going to be okay not having sex,” Kimo gently held Dion’s face in his hands, smiling.

“I must be crazy but, love for me this time is not just about sex. My love is about me being here for you, helping you to get through this. For the rest of your life. Love is... me just needing to be with you,”

“If I just can have you, a person who doesn’t think about himself, it’s enough for me,” Kimo stated.

“You are a person that can only give, Dion. So let me…,” Kimo pulled off Dion’s pants, effectively making the man bare.

“Let me take it all. Let me take you,” Kimo asked. “And when you are empty,” Kimo lowered Dion onto the floor, climbing on top of the man. Dion didn’t resist it this time. 

“I’ll force you to take my love, until you have no choice but to accept it,”

“What do you say, Dion? I’ve never felt this way before. Will you let me take what you have left? I won’t ask for more. I won’t ask for…,” Kimo hesitated. “Love,” he finished off. “I only want what you will give me,”

Dion stared at Kimo, contemplating his words. This is it, he either pushed Kimoni away, and kept the man safe forever, or accepted him.

Then they will burn together. 

He snapped the cable tie easily, not phased when Kimoni hardened at the thought of Dion who could escape but chose not to. Using one hand to grip Kimo’s waist, the other hand easily gripped Kimo’s hard-on, stroking it lightly to urge the man into him. Kimo scrambled to lube himself up, afraid of hurting Dion for his first time.

“Dion! We don’t have to..,”

“Then why did you strip me?” Dion said, not believing Kimo’s protest.

“At first, I wanted to. Fuck! I wasn’t thinking! I’m sorry...uughh! Don’t stroke me,” Kimo pleaded. Dion ignored him and stroked faster.

“Show me Kimo,” Dion husked as he licked Kimo’s lips. As expected he didn’t feel anything. “Take me,” Kimo growled as he pushed in. Dion quivered at the initial penetration. 

Kimo decided, fuck it, and threw caution out with the wind. 

“I’ll take you Dion!” Kimo snarled and picked up Dion easily to ride him. Dion whined, he may not feel any emotional pleasure from sex, but he could still feel sensations like any normal human being. Dion hugged Kimo close, gasping as Kimo bit and sucked at his nipples.

Kimo flexed as he gripped Dion’s slim waist and impaled the man over and over again, gaining speed. Dion whined wordlessly as he was made to ride the man. His body wasn’t on fire, but his heart sped up the same as if he was running a marathon. His reactions are purely physical.

“I’ll take everything!”

* * *

“So, thanks for the memory,” Kimo chuckled. “I enjoyed it immensely,”

“I..,” Dion started but stopped. Kimo hugged Dion close, shushing him.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to say anything,” Kimo said. “I didn’t force you or anything, did I?”

“You couldn’t force me even if you tried,” Dion grumbled.

“I know. You ARE, a trained assassin,” Kimo hummed, absentmindedly stroking Dion’s hair. “Well, you don’t have to do it again,” Dion wasn’t even able to ejaculate once even after Kimo cumming 2 times. 

“NO! I mean,” Dion broke from the embrace to address Kimo. “You enjoyed it. And I don’t mind the..mess,”

“Dion. Even if you felt nothing?”   
  


“You feel it. So, I guess...I’m okay with it,” Dion insisted. “I can give this to you,”

Kimo stared at Dion and leaned down to kiss him. He beamed an honest smile, making Dion’s heart skip a beat.

The first time it ever happened.

“You give me a lot more, Dion Aldrich,”

BEEEPP~~!

The alarm from the computer disrupted their conversation and the door banged open. Eirwen stalked in with Lucas, throwing the couple two bathrobes. He made a huge detour to avoid the sprawling bodies, afraid of stepping on some unsavory liquids. 

Lucas pursed his lips and followed his lover in, wiggling his eyebrows at Kimo. Kimo wiggled back.

“Lucas, stop congratulating Kimo via eyebrows and see this. The signal is not far from here,” Eirwen chided Lucas. Dion and Kimo limped over (they were still sensitive) and watched the location from the screen.

“Has he been this close, all this while?” Dion mumbled.

“They do say, the best hiding place was in plain sight,” Lucas stated. 

“I guess it’s time to end this,” Eirwen confirmed.


	12. The Liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: attempted rape and a murder

They tossed a coin, and it ended up with me and Lucas having to go hunt down Winter, while Dion and Kimo ran interference in the background. Lucas insisted that they just book Winter and let the law handle it, but after seeing me in action with Nathan, he didn’t want to let Winter get away and come back to hurt the Aldrichs. And me. Especially me. 

Kimo gave a look to Dion. I just knew that Kimo would go and block off any functioning cameras connected to the internet while Dion would probably scout the area to make sure no innocent bystanders would be caught in the fray. 

Or turn to potential witnesses. 

And Kano? I shuddered to think what would happen if he were to get involved. 

There was a reason why Winter hated Kano so much. And that was because Kano was the best out of all our siblings. Out of our generation, in fact. Kano was ruthless, detached of all conscience when he killed. He doesn’t play with his victims like I do, he just comes out of the shadows and slays them. 

This inherent ability to detach himself from reality was what made Kano numero uno in the trade, a fact acknowledged by the Phrajaothaads, and even the Falades, our African counterparts. When Papa Aldrich went off to Africa for their annual gathering, Kano had accompanied him, and had immediately been favoured for the Aldrich successor. Papa was still there to smooth out whatever pressing matters that had arisen three weeks ago and still hasn’t returned. Kano came back and went for Kendrich. 

Most of the time the brothers wondered if Papa was actually dead. But Grandpapa assured them he would know immediately if that was the case. 

But back to Kano and Winter. Apparently, Winter was the one chosen to fight Kano during the gathering and lost. It was a big blow to the Phrajaothaads, once hailed as the best family for 3 generations. Winter had hated Kano since. 

There was also that time where Kano interrupted our mission so that Winter’s time with me was cut short. So huh. 

So, Lucas and me. I briefly entertained the idea to leave Lucas behind, this seems way out of his league. Winter may lose to Kano, but even with me we were evenly matched. But this might be my chance to push Lucas over to us. 

If I win the coin toss, having Lucas is definitely a plus. His intellect and police training will be a great asset on missions. But his principle would cripple me in the long run. 

“I knew that cop would be your downfall,” a voice snickered as I climbed the abandoned building where Winter was last spotted. I turned and stretched my arms, a blade held within my right hand, but Winter had anticipated it and blocked it with his chest, encased in a police vest.

Lucas’s police vest. I jumped and landed at the top of the stairs.

“He’s caught isn’t he?” I drawled out. How long has he got Lucas? Was he still alive?

“Yeah, he’s a trained assassin, Eirwen! What was I supposed to do?” Lucas shouted from one of the rooms. Winter smirked at me, hand going to sweep his hair from covering his forehead. His green silver eyes shone as they stared at me to gauge my reaction. I rushed to see Lucas attached to the wall in chains at his wrists. A crossbow was pulled taut aimed at his midsection.

“He’s tied up, baby,” Winter whispered into my ear, hands skimming my biceps. Lucas grit his teeth as he watched Winter eying me with interest.

“Winter, I’m not interested,” I hissed. He chuckled and pulled back. 

“That’s true. Where is your brother?” He’s asking about Kano. 

“Not here,” I answered. “What do you want?”

“I want to kill Kano and take you back with me. You may not be interested, but I am,” Winter insinuated. Lucas bristled as I stayed still to Winter’s roaming hands again. 

“Bitch, keep your gorilla hands to yourself,” Lucas growled out.

“Eirwen, this is who you chose?” Winter smirked and kissed me on the side of my neck. He stared at Lucas as a challenge.

“You know we can’t have interfamily relationships,” I replied, curt.

“That’s not a problem if I keep you with me, in the bedroom,” Winter said seductively. “No one would know,” I took the opportunity to stab him in the gut, but he evaded it at the last minute and I was only able to graze him. We parried with our blades for a few rounds, but he was caught off guard when I took off my coat.

He was distracted further when I removed my dress shirt.

“Fuck, Eirwen, this better not be an invitation for sex! I knew you are attracted to danger and get off on it, but god forbid if you let another man touch you!” Lucas shouted. I smirked at his jealous and aroused tone. 

“Well, I don’t mind if this man touched you,” Winter countered. I smiled coyly and threw my knife away. Hugging him close, Winter wasted no time to also throw his dagger to grab my waist, going in for a kiss. I roamed my hands all over him, turning my head away to avoid a lip smack. Lucas was now struggling in his chains.

“I’ll kill you!”

But Winter and I were too busy molesting each other to care. Or Winter was. I was looking for the key to Lucas’s chains.

“If you are looking for the key, it’s not on me,” Huh, so he knew. This bastard was just using whatever excuses he can to grope me. Winter chuckled as his eyes darted to a small box nearby. Classic Winter, you always subconsciously give away the hiding place.

“It’s in that box. Thanks for telling me,” I snarled and kicked him away to dart towards the box. I opened it and chucked the set of keys towards Lucas.

As I turned to keep an eye on Winter, he appeared behind me and stabbed me under the ribs. The attack caught me by surprise, and I fell as the pain erupted from the wound. Ugh, I knew I should have dealt with him first, but the probability of me winning was 50-50. And I don’t want to take the chance of having Lucas hurt. 

“Auurrghh!”

“Eirwen! You sick bastard!” Lucas used some fancy footwork to flick the keys from the floor to his hands. “You should have kept the chains shorter so my hands would be apart, dick!”

“HAHAHAHA! There are 100 keys there, detective. You have a 1/100 chance in escaping,” Winter boasted, already pinning me on the floor. Unlike the shallow wound with Nathan’s case, Winter knew exactly which spot to hit so that I’ll bleed fast, but only to incapacitate me.

“While you’re figuring out which key, I’ll help myself to Eirwen over here,” Winter husked out. Using his thumb, he stabbed the wound deeply, making me shout out in agony. “I can’t believe you chose him over your safety,” I could vaguely make out Lucas screaming in the background, but I was slowly losing my grip on reality.

“That’s it, baby! Scream~. It turns me on,” Winter urged as he scrambled to get my pants off. “If I can’t have you, he can’t have you!”

“I’d rather bite my tongue and kill myself..unh!” He had used a strip of cloth to gag me, making me unable to speak.

“Well, good luck biting your tongue now. I got you baby,” Winter smirked, lowering his defences when the blood loss made me dizzy and lethargic.

“He’s my baby, bitch,” Lucas’ voice claimed behind us, and he fired a shot at Winter. But the man had awesome reflexes that he dodged a fatal blow.

Nonetheless, he was hurt.

“The fuck?! How did you get out so fast?!” Winter wheezed, crawling away from us. His back hit a wall and he sat upright to stare at us both. “Where did that gun..?”

“It’s called detective’s intuition,” Lucas smirked. He pulled off the gag and used it to stem my bloodloss. 

“Kill him, Lucas!”I wheezed out. Lucas didn’t stop until he was sure I received the necessary first aid. I darted my eyes to look at Winter, but he was already gone.

“Shit! He’s not going to play nice next time,” I whispered. Lucas seemed to notice that Winter was gone too and cursed.

“Uggh, let’s just get this dealt with first,” Lucas insisted. He looked at the entrance of the abandoned building, but chose not to say anything about it. After a few yards and calling in to Kendrich to inform them of our situation, he turned to me, pouting.

“I’m still pissed you made out with him,”

“Really? Lucas? Now?”

* * *

“I can’t believe that fucking detective was right,” Winter wheezed out, wrapping himself with emergency bandage wrappings that he always carried. The blood loss had lessened, but it still rendered him weak.

“What does Eirwen see in that lying asshole,” Winter hissed out. “I’ll go back to Thailand and recuperate, but I have to lay low after what I did,”

“I’ll lay you low...6 feet underground,” a voice whispered beside him. If Winter hadn’t evaded the surgical blade swiping at his neck, he would have instantly been decapitated. Even after he evaded the cut managed to knick his major artery. 

That skill and precision could only be one person.

“Kano motherfucking Aldrich. It’s me bitch,” Kano smirked, and sheathed the blade back into a special holster. Upon further inspection later on, his family would notice that the initials “KW” was sewn onto the holster. Winter fell on his knees as he tried to stop the bleeding. He coughed as some blood began to pool in his mouth.

“Kano! You can’t let me die!If I die, Lucas will win...and Eirwen will not kill anymore,” Winter pleaded. 

“That is exactly what I want, Win. I want Eirwen to stop killing,” Kano hummed. Winter stared at Kano then spit out built up blood from his mouth.

“You asshole. You want to succeed don’t you?” Winter accused. Kano nodded cutely.

“If I die today, Kano. You will push the Elemental Gods to….aark!” Winter shouted, but was cut short when Kano stomped on his chest, and effectively smashed his ribs. Along with his heart.

“Hmm? Elemental Gods? Sounds familiar….maybe I should have listened,” Kano pondered. He pulled out his phone and dialled for someone.

“Kano?” the smooth voice of one Kendrich Wong resounded through his speakers. Kano smiled and attempted to smooth out his hair. He turned on the video call function and waved as he saw Kendrich’s attractive face.

“It’s me babe. I’m done,” Kano mused.

“Really? He’s dead?” Kendrich’s sounded thrilled.

“Hmm..your serial killer is dead,” Kano confirmed, and showed the dead body to Kendrich.

“God Kano! That has got to be the most fucked up way to kill someone,” Kendrich complained. 

“But sweetie, he almost raped Eirwen...and if I let him go, he would have done more damage,” Kano whined, making pitiful faces. 

“And I don’t want to see you upset anymore,” Kano added.

“What do you mean?” Kendrich asked.

  
  


_ “Why does the world work like this?” Kendrich growled out. It’s not fair that these kids were targeted by some maniac. “If I find that guy I’ll make it so that there won’t be a body to do an autopsy on!”  _

“Kano...you killed him for me?” Kendrich sounded gratuitous and flattered. Kano smirked and chuckled sexily, sending chills to Kendrich’s spine. 

“Of course baby. I don’t actually give a shit what happens to Eirwen,” Kano attempted to make it all seem like he was doing it purely for Kendrich, but the MD was too smart for that. 

“Kano, I love it that you’re a tsundere. Stop pretending you don’t care about your brothers,” Kendrich chuckled back. “Is this your wedding gift for me?”

Kano sucked his breath quickly. He did want to mention it after hearing that Kendrich was ready to adopt 3 kids, but he figured Kendrich was just saying it as a heat of the moment thing. That and Kendrich didn’t know he was eavesdropping on their conversation.

They haven’t even wrinkled out the details of their relationship! 

“Kendrich, are you sure about this?” Kano husked out. 

“What? You think what I said to your Grandpapa and Kimo was just a joke?” Kendrich hummed. Kano felt his loins ignite. Kendrich WAS aware that he had bugged their conversation. So he was telling the truth!

“Baby, you knew I was listening?” 

Kendrich laughed, a melodious sound that amplified Kano’s arousal.

“Why do you think I wore the shirt with an abnormally THICKENED collar?” Kendrich confirmed. “That bug inside the collar was not hard to notice, babe,”

Fuuuuuccck! Kano was so in love with this guy.

“I gotta get rid of Winter quick! Shit! Then I’m coming back, and don’t you dare go anywhere!” Kano instructed. 

“Well, you better hurry, because your room is getting colder...and I don’t want to wear anything again,” Kendrich pouted, zooming out to show that he was in deed, in Kano’s room and naked. 

Kano’s brain exploded (figuratively).

* * *

Lucas stared at Eirwen as the man slept off his stab wound. Grandpapa had given him a drug to induce a mini coma that would hasten the recovery process. So Eirwen was pretty out of it. As such, Lucas had made it his sole purpose to be on guard, in case Winter came back. He flinched when the door was opened, but relaxed when he saw Dion.

“He’s out?” Dion asked. Lucas nodded. Seeing that Dion was hesitant to speak, he guessed it was about Winter.

“If you’re okay with watching him, I can go and look for Winter,” Lucas offered.

“I sent Kano,” Dion cut off. “Winter will not escape,”

“What do you..” Lucas asked, looking perplexed.

“You know what I mean,” Dion cut off. “You don’t need to pretend, Lucas. You did not use your detective's intuition to find the right key. You know which key it was,” Dion accused. Lucas dropped his facade and calmly regarded Dion.

“So it was you at the entrance,” Lucas stated. He made himself comfortable next to Eirwen at the head of the bed. He stroked Eirwen’s hair off, making small shushing noises as Eirwen stirred. 

“It was detective’s intuition,” Lucas insisted. 

“I heard Winter as he fled, detective. He said you were a liar,” Lucas stared at Dion and smiled an innocent smile. “And he wouldn’t be caught off guard if he wasn’t tricked,” Dion insisted.

* * *

_ “You found me first, detective,” Winter applauded as Lucas approached his hideout. “But you are unarmed,” _

_ “Let’s cut to the chase,” Lucas interjected. “Let’s have a wager,” _

_ “Wager?” _

_ “Winner gets Eirwen,” Lucas bargained. That caught Winter’s attention. _

_ “Go on,” Winter goaded. _

_ “You tie me up with a weapon ready to kill me. Then we see which one of us Eirwen will choose. If he chooses to attack you first, and disregard me, then I will concede. I’ll set off the weapon myself, and if you live, you get Eirwen,” Lucas stated.  _

_ “You mean if he values his life more than yours? A trained killer knows that he needs to eliminate the threat and disregard baits, lest he wants to put himself in danger,” Winter explained. Lucas hummed. _

_ “But if he chose to free me, to save my life, you have to leave us AND the Aldrichs alone,” Lucas replied. Winter sucked in his breath. He had been tailing Lucas Halls for quite some time, since that time Eirwen killed the girl. Initial impression of him was a straightforward guy, a huge sense of morals and boring by the books mentality. He couldn’t understand why Eirwen was attracted. _

_ He might see the appeal now.  _

_ The only winner would be Eirwen. In both scenarios, Eirwen would live. But Winter was sure that Eirwen’s training and instinct would choose to preserve himself rather than free Lucas. He would just have to pressure Eirwen into defending himself. _

_ “I’ll even drop all my bullets here, so you know I’m serious, heck, you can even have 100 keys to the keyring just to make it extra hard,” Lucas goaded more. Winter was feeling more confident things will go in his favour.  _

_ “We’ll leave it to chance once Eirwen makes his choice,” _

* * *

Did Winter think Lucas will leave it to chance? What a joke. 

Lucas has finally found his soulmate. 

Lucas swore that he will never stain his hands to take another life, but Eirwen’s hand was drenched in it. From the way he said it, he enjoys the kills regardless of reason. And that is what Lucas could not tolerate. He would love it if Kano succeeded and Eirwen can finally start to wash his hands from this family business, but that seemed unlikely with the close bonds these brothers have. They might have chosen to ignore it, but each Aldrich brother has decided to succeed to spare their siblings from the same fate. And this is something that Lucas respected and will not interfere with. If Eirwen was chosen, then Lucas will support him.

But he will make sure that Eirwen kills with a purpose, and not because he was told to. 

So when he smuggled a bullet inside his mouth, smuggled an extra gun under his boxers (he had fashioned a holder that fitted between his thighs and crotch) and when he memorized the key pattern to his chains, he was surprised that he was actually aiming to kill Winter when he shot him. That son of a female dog had molested Eirwen to spite him and pushed Eirwen to kill him first. That really ticked Lucas off. No one touches Eirwen and gets away with it. So when he pulled the trigger, he had intentionally shot at Winter’s (cold) heart.

If Winter hadn’t evaded his trajectory, he would have succeeded in killing him. For once in his life, he thought that he was okay with it if Winter died. Then he would surrender himself and let the law take care of it. That thought scared him. 

But now, he was happier that he can still sleep with a clean conscience. Lucas stared back at Dion, ready to deny all allegations. But Dion was not looking for one. 

“Save it, detective. And here I thought we were the only ones with a mask on,” Dion scoffed and turned to leave.

“But turns out,” Dion trailed off “You have a whole armour,”


	13. You must take over

“You what?” Lucas asked again.

“Yeah, he’s dead,” Kano re-iterated while kissing Kendrich on his lap. They were having the first lunch together after Eirwen woke up. So Kano took it upon himself to update his family about Winter. 

“What? Did you...? Okay, I’m not even going to ask,” Lucas huffed. 

“He’s not gonna admit it if he did kill Winter, Lucas. He knows what kind of man you are,” Kimo smugly supplied. Dion and he were sitting side by side, minus the PDA that Kano and Kendrich were displaying.

“Okay, so that settles that,” Lucas conceded.

“Kano, you said that Winter succeeded the Phrajaothaads right? So what happens now?” Kendrich asked.

“What do you mean?” Kimo wanted clarification.

“Well, they need a successor for their family, so if one died, what do they do? Do they get a replacement? Or what?” Kendrich forwarded the question to the Aldrichs.

“Huh, never had this problem before, right Grandpapa?” Eirwen asked. 

“Not in this nature, no,” Grandpapa mused.

“This nature?” Kendrich asked again.

“When a member of the other branch is lusting after another member of the adjacent branch and decided to kidnap them as a sex slave but ended up dead nature,” Kano replied. Lucas squinted his eyes in annoyance but was ignored by Kano.

“Most likely his siblings would have to take over. Avani or Mira. The most available one then,” Grandpapa answered.

“Hopefully they are not interested in Eirwen, too,” Lucas bit out, and stabbed his chicken bolognaise.

“Eh, only you would be attracted, Lucas. Both girls have HUGE RAGING BONERS for Dion though, so you can be relieved,” Kano mumbled out, nonchalant. Kimo spat out his spaghetti halfway across the table.

“What??!”

“Oh don’t worry. They’re not going to act on it, Dion already told them that he’s not interested,”

“So you guys have met each other?” Lucas asked. He was relieved that Winter’s siblings are not interested in Eirwen. 

“Well, each generation will have met with each other at some point, especially those who are going to be successors. But after the successor was chosen, and a new generation is born, then the one’s cut off stopped keeping in touch with each other,” Dion supplied.

“So, for instance, you guys are the 7th generation, so you would have met with everyone in the 7th generation. All 9 of you,” Lucas parroted back. 

“So once each family has a successor, the 6 of us will stop having to keep in touch with each other. So for example, if I was chosen, my children will see the 8th generation, along with Winter’s and the 3 children from the Falade successor. Eirwen’s children will not know mine, and will not know Kano’s,” Dion said.

“That is horrible,” Kendrich muttered. 

“That is the way it has always been. It keeps the non involved children safe,” Eirwen explained. The atmosphere then turned sombre, and everyone contemplated on what it could mean.

“Well, most of the time. I know the Phrajaothaads keep it this way. Though they are not like us. Once you are a Phrajaothaad, you’re always a Phrajaothaad, regardless if you succeed or not,” Grandpapa said.

“Huh? I thought you were supposed to change your family name if you don’t succeed the line,” Kendrich queried.

“The Aldrich does. So like their father, who succeeded, he gets to be Arian Aldrich. Where as my eldest Bartholomew changed his name to Bart Oswald,” Grandpapa stated.

“Oswald is such a downgrade,” Kano tsked. 

“And my second, Yas changed hers to Managold,”

“That sounds exotic,” Kimo commented. “Then what is so different about the Phrajaothaads?”

“Hmm, it has something to do with what the Phrajaothaads are supposed to do, but let’s not overload your brains for now,” Grandpapa mused. They finished their lunch and sat in the living room.

“So, Avani and Mira...which one is better, Kano?” Kendrich slyly asked.

“Well…,”

“No Kano don’t!” Lucas tried to stop the kamikaze move, but Eirwen and Dion shut his mouth. Kano looked at them funny before continuing.

“Avani is better with a gun, but Mira is an excellent swords master. I mean that woman is good with any blade. And the body..smoking!” 

Kimo slapped his forehead. He can’t believe that Kano was baited like this.

“Hot body huh?” Kendrich hummed, looking at his nails. “So she’s good with a sword...was she good at handling your sword?”

“Oh yeah, she ….wait,” Kano stopped himself from total annihilation. “Shit, I’m fucked aren’t I?”

“Oh, on the contrary, Kano. There won’t be any fucks for you in the near future,” Kendrich hissed and almost stormed off when he bumped into Grandpapa. Grandpapa sat back at his recliner to sharpen his katana. 

“Seriously Kano?”

“Oh shut it, Grandpapa. Babe! It was so long ago! Before I met my soulmate!” Kano shouted as Kendrich huffed to one side of the room. Eirwen and Dion both were giddy when Kano was treated this way, but were disappointed after not 5 seconds later, both of them were smooching again.

“He has a fucking silver tongue,” Eirwen grumbled. Dion nodded. But now they knew that Kendrich was easy to bait. Life is finally looking up for them. 

“But I am curious about this too,” Lucas piped up. “Who do you think will take over? And would that pose a threat to us?”

“None of them are taking over,” a voice boomed into the room. Everyone except Grandpapa turned to look at the newcomer. A middle aged man, roughly in his 40s stood tall near the doorway. He has platinum blond hair, a clean shaven square jaw and deep sea blue eyes. With a fitting checkered navy blue suit, he looked like a regal man, emanating power..

“Okay, stop describing my dad with such a lustful notation, Kendrich,” Kano huffed, annoyed. 

“Papa, you’re back,” Kano greeted his father.

“Yes, it’s me,” Adrian Aldrich replied. His sons all rushed to hug him, glad that he was back safe from Thailand. 

“Wait, what do you mean no one is taking over? Someone has to take over,” Grandpapa asked his son.

“They are both dead,” Adrian replied.

“What?!”

“How is that possible?!”

“Are you sure?”

“We found the bodies, they were killed roughly 3 months ago,” Adrian answered. “It took a while, but we finally found them,” Adrian took out photos from his hand case and threw them onto the table.

Lucas and Kendrich were tempted to look at them but were hesitant to intrude on a family moment. Plus, it would be super awkward if the first thing they said to their future father in law was “Can I see the body?”

“Don’t just stand there,” Adrian commanded Kendrich. “You are a consultant pathologist? So use your expertise,” 

Kendrich should have shielded his excitement better, but Adrian smirked as the young man quietly squealed as he made his way to the pictures. What a cute man his Kano had found. 

“Oh, papa! You know Kendrich? We’re going to..,” Kano blurted out, excited.

“Get married, yes Kano, I know. It’s good that your partner is in the medical field. God knows I don’t want to spend money every time you get injured from seeing a pert ass,” Adrian teased.

“What?!”Kendrich exclaimed, angry. He accidentally gripped the pictures but was stopped by Lucas, who gently grabbed the picture to save it from damage. 

“Papa! That’s not true! Baby, he’s kidding!” Kano pleaded. Kendrich gave a stare that meant they will deal with it later and approached the photos. Both bodies were beaten to death, with multiple bruises on their abdominals. They seem similar somehow. He didn’t notice Lucas looking over his shoulder as he stared at the bodies.

“This looks like the children that were just killed. Same patterns, handprints roughly the same size. Blunt force trauma,” Lucas commented. Looking at Kendrich, they both came to the same conclusion at the same time.

“Winter killed his sisters?” Kendrich concluded. Adrian looked at all three men, who had crept their way into the family. And not just into his sons’ pants too. All three of them bring something to the table, be it expertise, skill, or intuition. Adrian couldn’t help but think it was all too coincidental.

“So if they are both dead, then, does that mean Winter’s dad has to take over? Uncle Lumi?” Kano asked, hesitant. 

“He has to have three more children? They need a successor,” Dion asked.

“That won't happen. Lumi was also killed,” Adrian replied. Grandpapa dropped his katana.

“Then does it mean, Chantara has to take over?” Thaddeus asked, bewildered. This has never happened before. Never had an entire family been wiped out that they had to shift successors across generation lines. Normally when a successor was killed, their siblings would take over. But to have to go back a generation was a catastrophe. What was Winter thinking?!

“You know there can only be one candidate. The Main Family has spoken,” Adrian cryptically replied. Thaddeus’ stare hardened, and his sons gasped. 

“No. NO papa! YOU can’t do that!!” Kano shouted suddenly. Dion and Eirwen both looked distressed when they too understood. 

“We have no choice,” Thaddeus replied.

“Wait, what’s happening?” Lucas asked, unsure. Eirwen requested for Kendrich to take out his family tree and explained it to them. They were all stuck in this together, so might as well go the whole way. 

“So Winter’s father, Lumi was the successor, if he was alive, he would have to take over until he could train 3 more children and one succeeds. But that is not possible now, so the next possible candidate FAMILY is the next in line, and their children will succeed,” Eirwen explained.

“Okay, so that leaves Lumi’s siblings Chantara and Jahan, so why can’t Chantara take over? Is it because she is the last sibling? But I thought it didn’t matter,” Kimo hypothesised. 

“It doesn’t. Chantara has no children. Jahan Phrajaothaad is more suitable,” Adrian gruffed out.

“What? Why?” Lucas asked, perplexed. What does Jahan has that made him the favourite?

“Jahan has children, doesn’t he? He has three children. And he named them according to the elements,” Kimo guessed. Adrian was taken aback that Kimo was well versed in their family rules. Kano drew out the family tree under Jahan’s name, listing out 3 more names, Lokhniran, Namkhaeng Niran and Namniran.

“But wait, if Lumi was chosen as a successor and his kids trained in the killing arts, doesn’t that mean Jahan’s kids..,” Kendrich guessed.

“Have no idea what they are about to be thrown into,” Lucas finished off. “They would have no idea what their uncle and cousins were doing. Or are even aware that they had uncles and cousins,”

The whole room went into silence to digest that information. It hit harder for Kendrich, Kimo and Lucas, as they could empathize with the Phrajaothaads as normal citizens becoming entangled in this cruel fate.

Suddenly Kano threw a vase across the room. The law abiding citizens all turned to look at him. 

“That son of a bitch! That’s what he meant when he told me killing him would turn the Elemental Gods into chaos,”

“Elemental Gods?” Lucas asked.

“It’s what Phrajaothaad means,” Kendrich supplied. 

“Kano,” Dion tried to placate his brother.

“No! This is not fair! Just because he was fucked up and was a sore loser, he had to kill his siblings! Avani and Mira didn’t even do anything wrong!” Kano ranted. Kendrich went and hugged his lover to calm him down.

“Uncle Lumi...uncle Lumi!” Kano broke down. Crying silent tears, Kendrich easily maneuvered him to sit on his lap, rubbing his back. 

“Uncle Lumi had given them everything. He sacrificed himself so that his siblings and nephews be spared from this,” Dion snarled, angry. 

“Isn’t there anything we can do, papa?” Eirwen asked. “They would be so overwhelmed! Poor Namniran! He’s an idiot! He can’t do anything but do Instagram posts!”

“And Lokhniran. He’s going to sacrifice himself. I just know it,” Dion muttered. 

“But Namkhaeng would be perfect for this, that shitty asshole,” Kano shot back, chuckling sarcastically. 

“Wait, wait. You know who these people are? I thought you guys don’t keep in touch with them. They are not from the successor line,” Eirwen looked at Lucas with such a forlorn expression that Lucas suddenly felt very sad for all of them. He rewinded back the conversation they had.

  
  


> _ “They can change their family name..,” _

> _ “They don’t keep in touch. That is our way of showing them we love them,”  _

They. The children of the non-successors were the one who didn’t keep in touch. The successors have never lost contact with all of their family. All this while, Eirwen and his siblings would have been aware of their cousins, but their cousins had no idea who they were. Do they keep tabs on all the children of their generation? How painful must that be? To just watch from the shadows.

“Oh, Eirwen,” Lucas grabbed Eirwen and hugged him close. Eirwen let himself cry ever since the first time he met Lucas. His tears were caught by the fabric of Lucas’ shirt, and Lucas too, cried for his other half. 

“Let’s all have a rest. Adrian, let’s talk first,” Thaddeus coaxed. Adrian went to each of his sons to kiss them goodnight. When they were all done, Adrian shook hands with their partners. Kimo, Kendrich and Lucas knew that they would have to speak to Adrian soon, as things have just become complicated. 

* * *

In Thailand

“Err. Papa! An email just came from the bank,” Phassakorn Phrajaothaad (Fai) shouted from the study. Papa poked his head inside the room to stare at Fai.

“That’s not my problem Fai. You know what to do,” Papa Phrajaothaad rebutted.

“But it looks like a reverse hack,” Fai insisted.” You know, when you are hacked but GET money instead of losing it,”

Clicking his tongue, Papa went to Fai and opened the email.

_...you have been credited with US _ _ $ _ _ 856,000,000 into your account. The message attached from the depositor can be viewed below: _

_ Winter gone rogue. Lumi and family gone. Chantara not fit. You have to continue.  _

Jahan Phrajaothaad (Jay) re-read the email a couple of times. What does it mean?! Lumi was gone?! He has to..he has to contact someone. Oh god! What is happening?! 

“I have to contact Adrian,” Papa muttered, suddenly feeling a pit settling in his stomach. He looked to see his sons, all crowding the study at Fai’s initial claim of being hacked.

“Papa? Are you okay? You look pale,” Lokhniran Phrajaothaad (Earth) asked.

“Holy shit, that’s a lot of money,” Namniran Phrajaothaad(Nam) exclaimed.

“He’s having a stroke. Quick, get the axe. Kill him and take him out of his misery,” Namkhaeng Niran Phrajaothaad (Ice) muttered. 

“Ice! Don’t say things like that!” Fai scolded. They all bantered and argued as Might and Moon also made an appearance. 

His sons! He has to protect them.

“Papa...what?” Rit asked as he read the email. Papa grabbed Rit’s shoulder.

“It’s happening Rit. We have to go see the Aldrichs,”

His sons….

  
  
  


_**To be continued...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of this entry. Hope you all enjoyed reading it as I did writing it. Thanks to all who read it.


End file.
